How do I avoid getting scammed when buying a second-hand phone online?
Meet up, test the phone fully, and check the IMEI and the account lock before you pay: a phone still linked to someone else's Apple ID or Google account, or with a blocked IMEI, is useless to you. Never pay a deposit to reserve a phone from a stranger.
Common tricks: a photo of a real phone the seller does not own, a "sealed" box with a fake inside, a phone reported stolen that gets blocked later, a unit still under installment with the previous owner, and the classic: pay now, no phone.
What to check
- Meet up in a public place and test it: calls, cameras, charging, screen, speakers.
- Ask the seller to sign out of their iCloud or Google account in front of you and reset the phone.
- Dial *#06# and compare the IMEI with the box and the settings.
- Ask for the receipt or the original box with matching serial number.
- Search the seller's name and number with "scammer" before the meet-up.
- Pay only after the phone is reset and in your hands.
Frequently asked questions
- The seller offers to ship first and let me pay on delivery. Safe?
- COD is better than paying first, but you usually cannot test a phone before paying the rider. Record the unboxing and test immediately.
Want to know if there are warning signs about the person you are talking to? Veritaza checks the photos, the messages, the number, the email, the name and the ID, for ₱199.
Check a person