- PPF Points
- 2,100
This Marketplace Is Crawling With Scammers (And Here’s How I Know)
Ever had that gut-sinking “oh crap” moment after thinking you snagged the deal of the century, only to realize… nah, man, you just got played? Yeah. Been there, lived it, still salty.
I used to be all about online marketplaces. That thrill, you know? The promise of one-of-a-kind stuff, handmade art, slick refurbished gadgets, TikTok side hustle nonsense—always double-tapping that “add to cart.” But yo, this last year? It’s like somebody opened the floodgates and let the scammers take over. Place turned into the Wild West… if everyone in the Wild West was a knockoff artist with a Wi-Fi connection. I’m not just talking noise, either. I’ve got screenshots. I’ve got receipts. I’m about to drag this marketplace like it owes me money—because honestly, it does.
Before you toss another dime at this sketchy bazaar, let me spill what really goes down: the scams that snatched my cash, all the red flags I ignored, and what to avoid unless you’re into donating money to internet grifters.
The Marketplace: Gone From Dope to Dumpster Fire
I’m not gonna drop the marketplace’s name (I like not getting sued), but trust me, you probably know it. Ever gone looking for:
Yeah, same place.
Once, this site was a paradise for indie creators and digital hustlers. Now? Feels like every other listing is either a low-effort cash grab or someone straight-up jacking stuff from around the web. Here’s how I found out the ugly way:
Scam #1: The “Expert” Was Basically Just ChatGPT With a Beard
The pitch:
“SEO-perfect blog posts, 1500 words, pro copy, totally original, deep research, delivered in 48 hours.”
Forty-five bucks. Seller rocking 4.9 stars and over 300 cheerleader reviews. Sounded solid.
What I actually got: Some bland, soulless essay that screamed “robot author.” No charts. No actual examples. It was so generic I swear I dozed off halfway through. The phrase “in today’s digital world” popped up like six times. Not subtle, dude.
Ran that sucker through an AI checker—yeah, scoring over 90% “probably written by a bot.” Double-checked for plagiarism? Thirty-seven percent ripped from old Medium posts and those clickbait content mills.
I messaged the seller like, “Dude, this is just AI copy/paste with new adjectives.” Seller’s reply? “I use AI for inspiration but everything is 100% original and rewritten.”
Sure, Jan. Filed for a refund. Denied, obviously.
Scam #2: The “Custom” Product That Was Just Stolen Freebies
Next, bought a bundle of “unique, hand-designed productivity templates.” Think Notion planners, business trackers, and some pastel nonsense. Took just $29 from me. Five-star seller, 500+ reviews, people gushing in the comments.
Downloaded the zip, opened the files… Massive déjà vu. Something smelled off.
Googled some template text, poked around Gumroad, and—bingo! Same exact files, free from someone else. Sucker just scooped public freebies and slapped a pricetag on it.
Messaged the seller? Ghosted. Flagged it to the marketplace? Crickets. They literally didn’t care.
Scam #3: The “Coaching Call” That Was Actually a Vanishing Act
This one straight up made me want to punch my desk. Booked a “60 minute business strategy Zoom”—another 4.8 rating, 120+ glowing reviews. Ninety-nine bucks. The big leagues.
After paying, got a link to pick a slot. Showed up for my call, all ready for my spicy business insight. Nobody shows. Nada. Waited. Emailed. Radio silence. Waited a whole day. Still nothing.
Tried to report it. Apparently, if you don’t complain fast enough, the system closes your order as “completed.” So—money gone, no advice, seller vanished, support useless.
What Happened When I Started Digging Around
After burning through that kind of cash, you start questioning reality—or at least the platform’s entire existence. So I cranked up detective mode. Here’s what I found:
1. Fake Reviews Everywhere
Some folks handing out five stars like candy. Turns out, sellers can literally pay for them, bribe folks with discounts, or make fake buyer profiles. Cute, right? If you’re seeing some rando with 400+ perfect ratings, might just be smoke and mirrors. (Or bots.)
2. The Refund Game is Rigged
They slap “safe,” “buyer protection,” and “guaranteed” all over their ads, but honestly? It’s theater. You get a tiny window to dispute stuff, customer support is basically an inbox graveyard, and YOU have to prove everything down to the pixel. Every time I tried to get my cash back? Same result: “So sorry for your loss.”
3. AI & Bots Everywhere—But Sellers Pretend It’s Handmade
Not gonna knock AI, but these days sellers are cranking out AI writing, AI art, auto-generated nonsense, rebranding it as “custom made.” If they told the truth, whatever, fine. But most act like they’re grinding day and night. Total scammy vibes.
Other People? Oh, They’re Getting Scammed Too
Shared my sob story on Reddit and, wow, the comment flood. One guy dropped $300 on a “branding kit” that was literally Canva freebies slapped together.
Look, if you’re still keen on bargain hunting there, go in with your eyes wide open. I’m not saying it’s ALL crooks, but… most days, it feels like you’ve gotta wade through a swamp of snake oil just to find an honest seller. Good luck, and maybe keep your wallet zipped.
Ever had that gut-sinking “oh crap” moment after thinking you snagged the deal of the century, only to realize… nah, man, you just got played? Yeah. Been there, lived it, still salty.
I used to be all about online marketplaces. That thrill, you know? The promise of one-of-a-kind stuff, handmade art, slick refurbished gadgets, TikTok side hustle nonsense—always double-tapping that “add to cart.” But yo, this last year? It’s like somebody opened the floodgates and let the scammers take over. Place turned into the Wild West… if everyone in the Wild West was a knockoff artist with a Wi-Fi connection. I’m not just talking noise, either. I’ve got screenshots. I’ve got receipts. I’m about to drag this marketplace like it owes me money—because honestly, it does.
Before you toss another dime at this sketchy bazaar, let me spill what really goes down: the scams that snatched my cash, all the red flags I ignored, and what to avoid unless you’re into donating money to internet grifters.
The Marketplace: Gone From Dope to Dumpster Fire I’m not gonna drop the marketplace’s name (I like not getting sued), but trust me, you probably know it. Ever gone looking for:
- Freelance gigs for the price of a burger?
- Pre-made digital junk and templates?
- Dropshipped crap?
- “Exclusive” online courses?
- AI resume thingies that all sound like LinkedIn bot?
Yeah, same place.
Once, this site was a paradise for indie creators and digital hustlers. Now? Feels like every other listing is either a low-effort cash grab or someone straight-up jacking stuff from around the web. Here’s how I found out the ugly way:
Scam #1: The “Expert” Was Basically Just ChatGPT With a Beard The pitch:
“SEO-perfect blog posts, 1500 words, pro copy, totally original, deep research, delivered in 48 hours.”
Forty-five bucks. Seller rocking 4.9 stars and over 300 cheerleader reviews. Sounded solid.
What I actually got: Some bland, soulless essay that screamed “robot author.” No charts. No actual examples. It was so generic I swear I dozed off halfway through. The phrase “in today’s digital world” popped up like six times. Not subtle, dude.
Ran that sucker through an AI checker—yeah, scoring over 90% “probably written by a bot.” Double-checked for plagiarism? Thirty-seven percent ripped from old Medium posts and those clickbait content mills.
I messaged the seller like, “Dude, this is just AI copy/paste with new adjectives.” Seller’s reply? “I use AI for inspiration but everything is 100% original and rewritten.”
Sure, Jan. Filed for a refund. Denied, obviously.
Scam #2: The “Custom” Product That Was Just Stolen Freebies Next, bought a bundle of “unique, hand-designed productivity templates.” Think Notion planners, business trackers, and some pastel nonsense. Took just $29 from me. Five-star seller, 500+ reviews, people gushing in the comments.
Downloaded the zip, opened the files… Massive déjà vu. Something smelled off.
Googled some template text, poked around Gumroad, and—bingo! Same exact files, free from someone else. Sucker just scooped public freebies and slapped a pricetag on it.
Messaged the seller? Ghosted. Flagged it to the marketplace? Crickets. They literally didn’t care.
Scam #3: The “Coaching Call” That Was Actually a Vanishing Act This one straight up made me want to punch my desk. Booked a “60 minute business strategy Zoom”—another 4.8 rating, 120+ glowing reviews. Ninety-nine bucks. The big leagues.
After paying, got a link to pick a slot. Showed up for my call, all ready for my spicy business insight. Nobody shows. Nada. Waited. Emailed. Radio silence. Waited a whole day. Still nothing.
Tried to report it. Apparently, if you don’t complain fast enough, the system closes your order as “completed.” So—money gone, no advice, seller vanished, support useless.
What Happened When I Started Digging Around After burning through that kind of cash, you start questioning reality—or at least the platform’s entire existence. So I cranked up detective mode. Here’s what I found:
1. Fake Reviews Everywhere
Some folks handing out five stars like candy. Turns out, sellers can literally pay for them, bribe folks with discounts, or make fake buyer profiles. Cute, right? If you’re seeing some rando with 400+ perfect ratings, might just be smoke and mirrors. (Or bots.)
2. The Refund Game is Rigged
They slap “safe,” “buyer protection,” and “guaranteed” all over their ads, but honestly? It’s theater. You get a tiny window to dispute stuff, customer support is basically an inbox graveyard, and YOU have to prove everything down to the pixel. Every time I tried to get my cash back? Same result: “So sorry for your loss.”
3. AI & Bots Everywhere—But Sellers Pretend It’s Handmade
Not gonna knock AI, but these days sellers are cranking out AI writing, AI art, auto-generated nonsense, rebranding it as “custom made.” If they told the truth, whatever, fine. But most act like they’re grinding day and night. Total scammy vibes.
Other People? Oh, They’re Getting Scammed Too Shared my sob story on Reddit and, wow, the comment flood. One guy dropped $300 on a “branding kit” that was literally Canva freebies slapped together.
Look, if you’re still keen on bargain hunting there, go in with your eyes wide open. I’m not saying it’s ALL crooks, but… most days, it feels like you’ve gotta wade through a swamp of snake oil just to find an honest seller. Good luck, and maybe keep your wallet zipped.
