Is Poshmark secure? Methods to purchase and promote with out getting scammed

Like another market, the social commerce platform has its share of crimson flags. It pays to know what to search for so you possibly can store or promote with out complications.

19 Feb 2026
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5 min. learn

Social commerce has gone mainstream. In accordance with one estimate, the trade was on monitor to be price over $1.1 trillion globally in 2025, with over half of younger individuals shopping for on social media websites. However wherever cash and customers are to be discovered on-line, so are fraudsters and cybercriminals. So it’s with Poshmark: a well-liked California-based social commerce platform that enables customers to commerce new and second-hand gadgets comparable to clothes, equipment, and residential items.

Whether or not you’re shopping for or promoting on the app, it’s necessary to do not forget that scammers are in every single place – and so they need your knowledge, your cash and your items.

Why is Poshmark a scammer’s favourite?

Poshmark has grow to be a well-liked goal for scammers because of a number of components.

Excessive fee charge

A 20% Poshmark fee for gadgets over $15 means customers are solely too comfortable to finish offers off the platform. The issue is that scammers know this, and can typically recommend that they accomplish that, which exposes victims to phishing, pretend fee affirmation and different forms of fraud.

Counterfeit items

Poshmark customers primarily commerce in vogue gadgets, particularly on the luxurious finish of the market, which means many are uncovered to counterfeits. Though Poshmark will authenticate sure gadgets as a part of its value-add companies, it solely does so for items over $500.

Vendor beware

Poshmark affords Posh Defend, which means that consumers obtain a full refund if their merchandise by no means ships or doesn’t match the itemizing description. However what if it’s the consumers who’re the unhealthy guys? Sellers could be focused by refund scams claiming gadgets are lacking or broken.

One-and-done accounts

It’s straightforward to open an account on Poshmark. However that ease-of-use and onboarding means it’s easy for scammers to create new accounts that are solely used (fraudulently) as soon as.

Restricted communications

Poshmark doesn’t permit customers to talk privately – solely through public feedback on listings. This creates a possibility for scammers to maneuver conversations off platform as quickly as doable, the place victims are extra uncovered.

What are the most typical scams?

Look out for the next:

Phishing

Fraudsters ship you emails purporting to return from Poshmark, however that are designed to elicit private, monetary and log-in info, or trick you into putting in malware. They may attempt to create a way of urgency to hurry you into making a poor resolution by claiming your account will likely be deactivated, or that they should examine a non-existent transaction you made.

Alternatively, scammers posing as consumers or sellers may recommend transferring a transaction off platform. They may say it’s price doing this to keep away from the 20% fee, or that pictures of your product aren’t loading correctly. As soon as it has moved to e-mail/cell, they could ship you a phishing message designed to put in malware or steal persona/monetary data.

Some customers have additionally reported scammers posting malicious or suspicious hyperlinks within the app.

Off-platform fee rip-off  

Just like the above, a purchaser or vendor suggests transferring the transaction off Poshmark to keep away from paying the 20% fee. However this implies that you could be be vulnerable to paying with out receiving an merchandise. Or delivery an merchandise, having been despatched a fraudulent fee affirmation.

Non-delivery scams

Consumers buy a bundle of things out of your “closet” and declare one or some are lacking. Poshmark normally calls for a refund and return, however this implies the scammer retains the unique gadgets they claimed have been lacking. One other variation is for the client to buy an merchandise with high-value equipment which they declare didn’t arrive, and find yourself retaining (eg controllers for a gaming console).

Poshmark help scams

A purchaser contacts you with a phishing hyperlink purporting to return from Poshmark help claiming there’s an issue along with your transaction. Following it might result in a malicious obtain or phishing web page.

Counterfeit scams

This one can work each methods. Consumers may declare that the merchandise you shipped was broken, and ship again an inferior or counterfeit model of that merchandise. With out proof, it’s a must to reimburse them, and so they get to maintain the unique. Alternatively, a vendor may promote a counterfeit merchandise for slightly below the $500 threshold, over which Poshmark checks for authenticity.

Methods to spot a Poshmark rip-off

The excellent news is that, with a number of golden guidelines in thoughts when utilizing the positioning, you possibly can keep away from the scammers. They’ll normally attempt to get you off the positioning a technique or one other, and/or ship malicious hyperlinks masquerading as reliable messages and alerts. Consumers might also strain you into delivery an merchandise, even offering pretend screenshots of fee affirmation, earlier than funds clear in your Poshmark account.

On the opposite aspect, scammers might promote gadgets at slightly below the $500 threshold for authenticity checks, or at a value that appears too good to be true. Additionally look out for generic descriptions and inventory photographs – a certain signal of counterfeit gadgets.

What to do if you happen to bought scammed

An important factor to recollect is that Poshmark will solely step in in case your complete transaction has been accomplished on the platform.

Consumers

You solely have three days after supply to complain about an merchandise. Open a case and add photographs of the merchandise (within the case of broken/counterfeit claims). If an merchandise by no means arrived, contact Poshmark help with the related monitoring particulars. Posh Defend will cowl all misplaced packages shipped with their pay as you go label.

Go to: My Purchases – choose the order – Issues/Order Inquiry – Choose purpose – Add proof.

Sellers

Your finest safety towards purchaser fraud is to doc all the things (photographs, tags, packaging, serial numbers and a photograph of an merchandise with the Poshmark label on it).

It’s additionally doable to report fraud (even if you happen to received’t be reimbursed) by going to the rip-off account – Motion Menu – Report Person.

Contact your financial institution/card supplier to report any fraudulent transactions. And if it was a high-value merchandise, take into account submitting a report with the FTC.

Staying secure on Poshmark

After all, it’s higher by no means to get right into a place the place it’s a must to try to recoup losses. Make sure you at all times keep on the Poshmark app, examine the profile of any purchaser or vendor you’re pondering of transacting with (together with “love notes”), and keep away from following hyperlinks off platform. Additionally, by no means belief screenshotted fee affirmation.

Above all, do not forget that if one thing appears to be like too good to be true, it normally is. There could also be bargains available on social commerce platforms like Poshmark. However there are additionally scammers circling in rising numbers.