Scams Targeting Market Traders and Small Sellers
Market traders, shopkeepers and online sellers face fake payment alerts, fake screenshots, fake buyers, fake suppliers and wrong-transfer tricks. How each works and simple shop rules.
For market traders, shopkeepers and people selling online, a single scam can wipe out a week's profit. Criminals target small sellers because they are busy, handle many quick payments, and often run the business from one phone. The good news: a few shop rules stop most of these scams.
The main scams against traders
| Scam | How it works |
|---|---|
| Fake proof of payment | Edited screenshots, fake receipts or forwarded SMS alerts. See fake payment screenshots. |
| Fake SMS alerts | Texts that look like your provider's deposit alerts, but nothing arrived. |
| "Wrong transfer" | A caller says they sent money to your number by mistake and asks you to send it back. The "deposit" was fake. |
| Fake bulk buyers | Large orders with overpayment or payment "after delivery" that never comes. See overpayment scams. |
| Fake suppliers | Cheap stock paid for upfront that never arrives. |
| Fake officials | People claiming to be tax, council or health inspectors demanding on-the-spot fines. |
| Fake loan and grant offers | Business loans or grants that need a fee first. See fake grant scams. |
Shop rule number one: goods leave only when the money shows in your own account, checked on your own phone.
Illustrative example
- An SMS alert, not a confirmed balance in your app.
- An immediate call pressuring you to send money back.
- What to do: check your real balance; if money arrived, ask your provider to reverse it.
Shop rules that work
- Confirm every payment in the official app or with your provider before handing over goods.
- Never send back "wrong transfers" yourself; let the provider reverse genuine ones.
- For suppliers, pay only after verifying them, and start with small orders.
- Ask officials for ID and verify with the agency before paying any fine.
- Keep business and personal accounts separate, and protect the business phone with a PIN and two-step verification.
- Train staff and family helpers on these rules.
Selling online
- Use marketplace checkouts where available.
- Be wary of buyers who want to move to WhatsApp, pay extra for shipping, or use a courier they arrange.
- Never share one-time codes with "buyers" who say they need them to pay you.
Got a suspicious payment alert or order? Paste it into CyberWatch AI Scan for a free check.
For more on protecting a small business, see our small business security checklist and our guide on how to avoid online scams.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common scam against traders?
Fake proof of payment: edited screenshots or fake SMS alerts shown by a customer who leaves with goods before the trader checks their real balance.
How should staff confirm payments?
Check the balance in the official banking or mobile money app, or with the provider, before releasing goods. Never accept a customer's screen or a forwarded message as proof.
A caller says they sent money to my business number by mistake. What should I do?
Check your real balance. If the money genuinely arrived, ask your provider to reverse it rather than sending money back yourself.
Sources
- Mobile Payment Apps: How To Avoid a Scam When You Use One, US Federal Trade Commission
- How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Fake Check Scams, US Federal Trade Commission
- Small business guide: cyber security, UK National Cyber Security Centre
