Classified ad scams: how to spot and report them
Leaving the site’s messaging, paying by voucher or transfer, clicking a link sent mid-sale: the three warning signs, and where to report in Morocco.
The conversation leaves the platform
It starts on the site, then the other person suggests carrying on over WhatsApp or text “to save time”. Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr, France’s public victim-support service, warns against these rushed invitations to leave the platform.
On Trokido, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and links to other messaging apps are masked automatically in listings and messages. Someone working around that masking wants to take you off the site.
Payment by an “alternative” method
The same guide says to refuse vouchers and transfers: PCS, Transcash, Neosurf, Moneygram, Mandat Cash, Western Union, Taptap Send. Once the money has gone, it does not come back.
On Trokido, a delivered item is paid for at the door, and at an in-person handover the buyer pays after seeing the item. Asking for payment outside Trokido is a serious offence. The first time, the account is suspended for 30 days; a second time within 12 months, it is closed for good.
A link arrives during the sale
“Confirm your delivery”, “collect your payment”, “release your parcel”: these messages imitate a payment service, a classifieds site or a courier. Before clicking, check who is writing and the site address. Trokido contacts you in your notification centre, by push notification and by e-mail; anyone claiming to be Trokido elsewhere is not Trokido.
For sellers, a buyer who “overpays” and then asks for the difference back is a known trap. Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr advises refunding nothing until your bank confirms the payment is final.
A deal that is too good
A recent iPhone at half price, a flat to rent well below the area’s rents: the price is the bait. On Trokido, a very low price for a phone sends the listing for review before it goes live.
Where to report
- On Trokido: the “Report listing” and “Report this member” buttons. The Safety page sets out the right reflexes.
- In Morocco: the DGSN’s E-Blagh platform, open since June 2024, has an “online fraud” category. Reports can be anonymous, though contact details make follow-up easier. In an emergency, the police number is 19.
- In France: Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr offers a diagnosis tool for victims.