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The fake seller scam: the seller takes the Pix and disappears

A second-hand ad with a good price leads to a chat off the site. The seller asks for the Pix up front, or a deposit to hold the item, and disappears. Here is how to spot it and what to do.

Also called: fake seller, marketplace scam.

174,000

reports of a fake sale to banks, the most reported scam of the half year

first half of 2025 · Source: Febraban

How it works

  1. The scammer lists a used item with copied photos and a price below normal.
  2. They ask you to chat off the site and say others are interested.
  3. They ask for the Pix up front or a deposit, to someone else's account, and disappear.

Where it usually starts: marketplace, social media, messaging app.

How it arrives on Bipe. Simulation with sample people and messages.

How to spot it

  • The price is well below normal.
  • The seller will not let you see the item first.
  • The name on the Pix account is not the seller's.

What to do

  • See the item before you pay, or pay inside the site, with its protection.
  • Before you confirm the Pix, check the name your bank shows.
  • Already paid? Talk to your bank, ask for MED and file a police report.

How Bipe helps

Each item shows where it stands on iPhone and Android.

Verified seal

A seal with a name verified through Pix or gov.br, so you know who is on the other side.

iPhone: Coming soon · Android: Coming soon

Pix requests

The request card shows the name your bank will display. If you see another name, don't pay.

iPhone: Coming soon · Android: Coming soon

Scam warnings

A warning shows under a message that looks like a scam, such as a rushed Pix, a new number or a boleto. It is on by default, with nothing to set up.

iPhone: In the test app · Android: In development

A pause before paying

On a suspicious money request, copy and pay stay locked for 5 seconds, to break the scam's rush.

iPhone: Coming soon · Android: Coming soon

What Bipe does not solve here

A verified person can still scam. The seal proves who the person is, not that they are honest. The ad is on another site, and Bipe only sees the chat.

Bipe only protects the chats that happen in Bipe. If someone in the family still uses another app, a scammer can write to them there.

Who describes this scam

Official pages with the scam's script and what to do.

Other common scams

Scams in Brazil in numbers

Where these numbers come from

Researched on 13 October 2026. We only use numbers that have a source. Surveys by a company or a private association are marked as such.