Is this order or prize text from eBay a scam?
No. eBay is a legitimate global online marketplace with a large Australian user base. The danger sits around it rather than in it: fake eBay invoice emails pushing off-platform payment, sellers demanding bank transfer or gift cards outside checkout, and bogus 'eBay support' messages carrying lookalike login links. The good news: a few quick checks almost always tell a real eBay message from a fake.
Genuine eBay links lead to ebay.com, ebay.com.au — but a link can be made to look real, so don't go by the link alone. Below is how genuine eBay contact usually works, the scams commonly run in its name, the red flags that give a fake away, and an example to compare against. Got a message in front of you? Check it now for an instant verdict.
What a real eBay message looks like
Genuine messages from eBay link to ebay.com, ebay.com.au. Treat a link to any other address as a warning sign.
- eBay messages about a purchase or sale also appear in your eBay Messages, in the eBay app or at ebay.com.au, so check there instead of trusting a sender name, address or link
- eBay says that if it sent you an email, a copy will also appear in your eBay Messages, and that checking there is the easiest way to tell whether an email is from it
- eBay says any link in its emails is included for convenience, and that no link will require you to submit confidential information on the next page
- eBay says it generally won't call you unexpectedly
- eBay says only payment methods offered at eBay checkout are allowed, and that transactions outside eBay aren't eligible for its protection programs or the eBay Money Back Guarantee
What a genuine eBay contact shouldn't do
- Ask for confidential information such as your password or credit card details; eBay says it won't
- Ask you to pay by wire transfer to an overseas account, prepaid card or cryptocurrency instead of eBay's checkout; eBay says it doesn't allow payment methods that can't be traced or recovered if there's a problem
- Move a deal off eBay; eBay says offering to buy or sell outside of eBay is not allowed
- Use threatening language or include unsolicited attachments; eBay says it won't do either
- Hide its own correspondence from your account; eBay says it sends a copy of any important message to your eBay Messages
Common eBay scams
- Scammers send a fake 'invoice' or 'payment received' email that looks like it is from eBay but contains a link to an off-platform payment page
- Buyers are told the seller will only accept payment via direct bank transfer or gift cards instead of using eBay's checkout
- Fraudsters pose as eBay or PayPal support and claim there is an issue with your listing or recent purchase that must be fixed immediately by logging in through their link
Red flags to watch for
- The message asks you to pay or send money outside eBay using bank transfer, Western Union or cryptocurrency
- The email address or link looks like eBay's but has a typo, extra words or extra characters, such as ebay-secure-login[.]example; a matching address isn't proof either, because sender addresses can be faked
- Urgent language claims your account will be suspended unless you click the link right now
- The message has spelling errors, odd formatting or a generic greeting such as 'Attention eBay member'; eBay lists a generic greeting among the typical traits of phishing emails
- You are directed to a website that is not ebay.com.au to complete the purchase or resolve a problem
eBay scam examples
These composed examples show how scams impersonating eBay typically read, with the tells that give each one away. Compare them against anything you've received.
Subject: eBay invoice: payment received, confirmation required. Your buyer has paid. Complete the final verification step at ebay-payment-portal[.]example to release the funds and ship the item.
What gives it away:
- Releasing funds through a link in an email is the hook; eBay says any link in its emails is for convenience and won't require you to submit confidential information on the next page
- Check your eBay Messages: eBay says that if it sent the message, a copy will appear there too
- The 'final verification' page is an off-platform lookalike built to take your login or banking details
Mid-negotiation on a listing, the 'seller' suggests closing the deal off eBay: 'The checkout is playing up on my end. Just do a direct bank transfer and I'll post it today, I'll even take a bit off the price for the hassle.'
What gives it away:
- Moving payment off eBay strips away the platform's buyer protections, which is the entire objective
- A discount offered specifically for paying by bank transfer is bait, not generosity
- Real transactions complete through eBay's checkout; a seller who refuses it is a seller to report
eBay Support: A policy issue has been detected on your recent listing. Sign in at ebay-account-review[.]example within hours or the listing and your account will be suspended.
What gives it away:
- A text can't prove it's from eBay, whatever name or number it shows; eBay says to close the page and type the address into your browser, or use the official eBay app, instead of following a link
- The countdown-to-suspension framing is pressure, not policy; real notices from eBay also appear in your eBay Messages
- Typing ebay.com.au yourself and checking your account messages settles it in seconds
Not sure about your message?
Paste the suspicious eBay text or email and get an instant scam verdict, free.
How to verify a message from eBay
eBay's real website is ebay.com and the official app is the eBay app. Reach eBay through those channels, never through the details inside a message you're unsure about.
- Do not click the link, pay outside the platform, or reply to the message
- Type ebay.com.au into your browser yourself, or open the official eBay app, and check your My eBay inbox; if the message is not there, it is fake
- Don't rely on the sender address or on details such as an item title, because both can be faked; confirm the item or order in My eBay instead
- Treat any request to pay by bank transfer, gift cards or cryptocurrency as the scam itself, whoever appears to be asking
If you have been scammed in eBay's name
Clicked the link, paid, or shared details? Act now. The first hour matters more than anything else you do later.
- If you paid by bank transfer or card, call your bank immediately; ask them to attempt recall of the transfer, block the card and dispute charges
- If you entered your eBay password on a fake page, change it at ebay.com.au from a clean device, plus everywhere else you reuse it, and review your account for listings or purchases you did not make
- Forward the fake email to eBay as an attachment at spoof@ebay.com.au so eBay can act on the campaign; eBay says not to click any links or open any attachments in it
- If identity documents were shared, contact IDCARE (idcare.org) for free identity support
- Report the scam to Scamwatch and ReportCyber using the links below, and forward any scam SMS to 7226 so carriers can block the sender
Where to report a scam impersonating eBay
Received — or fell for — a message impersonating eBay? Report it. It helps authorities and carriers shut the campaign down for everyone who gets the next one.
- Scamwatch — Report the scam to the ACCC's national scam service.
- ReportCyber — Report cybercrime and financial loss to the police.
- ACMA — Complain about scam texts and spam SMS, email or calls.
- Forward to 7226 (SCAM) — Forward the scam SMS to short code 7226 so carriers can block the source.
- IDCARE — Free identity and cyber support if your details were taken.
eBay scam activity in 2026
The busiest eBay scams at present are transactional: counterfeit invoice and 'payment received' emails steering sellers to off-platform confirmation pages, and buyers being coaxed into bank transfers or gift cards with a sob story about checkout problems. Fake support messages, sometimes name-dropping PayPal for extra weight, handle the account-takeover side with lookalike sign-in links and suspension threats. Marketplace scams share one anatomy: get the money or the login away from eBay's own rails, where protections stop applying. The habit that helps is a single cross-check: eBay says a copy of any email it sent appears in your eBay Messages, so check there instead of trusting the sender or the link.
Frequently asked questions
I received an eBay email with a payment link — is it a scam?
Treat it as a scam until you've checked. eBay says only payment methods offered at eBay checkout are allowed, and that any link in its emails is for convenience and won't require you to submit confidential information on the next page. Open the eBay app or type ebay.com.au yourself and check your eBay Messages instead of using the link.
Can eBay ask me to pay via bank transfer?
Not for a purchase on eBay. eBay says only payment methods offered at eBay checkout are allowed, and that paying off eBay, for example by cash or a transfer to an overseas account, is against its policy and means the purchase wouldn't be covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee. A seller who asks for a bank transfer instead of checkout is taking the deal off eBay.
How do I check if an eBay message is genuine?
Log in at ebay.com.au or in the eBay app and look in your eBay Messages. eBay says the easiest way to identify whether an email is from it is to check there, because a copy of anything it sent will appear there too.
Where should I report a fake eBay invoice email?
Forward the email to eBay as an attachment at spoof@ebay.com.au and report it at scamwatch.gov.au so authorities can track the impersonation campaign. eBay says not to click any links or open any attachments in it.
What is eBay's real website in Australia?
The genuine Australian site is ebay.com.au, and the global site is ebay.com. eBay says a web address that includes the word 'ebay' but isn't on an official eBay domain is a sign of a phishing website, and gives examples with 'login' or 'secure' added to the name. If you're not sure a website is really eBay, close the page and type the address into your browser, or use the official eBay app.
What should I do if I already paid a scammer posing as an eBay seller?
Call your bank immediately and ask it to attempt a recall of the transfer or dispute the card payment; speed matters most. Then report the incident to ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au and to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au, and report the seller or listing inside eBay so the account can be shut down.
Scam message examples
Related scam types
Scams impersonating eBay usually fit one of these patterns. Learn how each works:
Related brands
Other retail names scammers impersonate — check a message from one:
Sources
- Buying and selling scams (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- Email scams (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- Account or identity takeover scams (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- Recognising phishing phone calls and emails (eBay Australia)
- Offering to buy or sell outside of eBay policy (eBay Australia)
- Avoiding seller fraud (eBay Australia)
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice — always verify with eBay through an official channel.