Marktplaats is the biggest classified site in the Netherlands, and that makes it a place where scammers look for sellers as well as buyers. A car advert attracts them because the value is high and the paperwork looks unfamiliar to people who are new to the country. If you are weighing up where to sell, the private sale or dealer guide compares the routes. This article covers one narrow question: which scams are aimed at sellers, and how do you recognise them before any damage is done.
The descriptions below follow the Fraudehelpdesk, the Dutch fraud reporting and advice service. Scammers change their wording, so the warning signs matter more than the exact story.
The one-cent payment check
A “buyer” writes to you and says they have been cheated before. To make sure you are honest, they ask you to transfer one cent, sometimes a few cents, to them. They may say this shows your full name. Some also ask for a copy of your identity document.
Next, the buyer sends a payment link that looks like it leads to your bank. The page is fake. Anything you type there, such as your account number or your online banking login, goes to the scammer, who can then use your account.
The Fraudehelpdesk advises you to ignore the one-cent request and never to open a payment link from a buyer. You should also never send a copy of your ID, because criminals use it to pretend to be you. The full description is on the Fraudehelpdesk page about the one-cent request. If a genuine buyer is nervous, you can reassure them in ways that put none of your own security at risk, for example by agreeing to meet and to complete the transfer together.
The courier who asks you to pay
In this version the buyer says they are far away and will send a courier to collect the car. Soon afterwards you receive an email from the “courier company”. It says you must pay first, for example for insurance, and it asks for payment in euros or in gift cards or prepaid cards, with the card codes sent by email. If you refuse, further emails threaten legal action. Nobody ever collects anything.
The Fraudehelpdesk lists a variant in which you are asked to fill in a form with your name, address and bank login details so that you can supposedly be paid. A courier then comes to the door, asks for your ID and photographs it. That information can be used for identity fraud.
The warning signs are easy to remember once you know them:
- A payment is demanded from you before the pickup.
- Gift cards, prepaid cards or their codes are requested.
- You receive threats of legal steps.
- You are asked for bank login details or personal data.
- A courier wants to photograph your ID at the door.
The advice on the Fraudehelpdesk page about fake couriers is short: pay nothing, buy no cards and fill in no personal details. Stop contact with the buyer and report them to the marketplace. If you have already paid or shared data, contact the Fraudehelpdesk and the marketplace.
A car is also a poor fit for a courier. A car is handed over together with a change of registration, and the RDW, the Dutch vehicle authority, wants the buyer to carry out that transfer. A buyer who insists that a stranger collects the car, and that you pay fees to make it possible, is describing something that does not match how a Dutch car sale works.
A buyer who wants the car before the transfer
Some scams do not involve payment links at all. The buyer simply wants to drive away with the car and says the paperwork can follow. The RDW is clear about the order of events. The seller should hand over the vehicle only after receiving the proof of transfer (vrijwaringsbewijs), and the seller should make sure the buyer carries out the transfer. If this does not happen, the car remains registered in your name and you stay responsible for it.
The buyer carries out the transfer, either online with the DigiD app or at an RDW counter, and the proof of transfer is issued to the buyer to give to you. You can check that the transfer has been completed in Mijn RDW with DigiD, or with the Kentekencheck on the RDW website. The steps are explained on the RDW page about transferring a registration number and in our guide to the RDW transfer.
Be wary of any buyer who:
- asks you to hand over the registration code before they have paid;
- does not want to show valid ID, or cannot be registered at a Dutch address;
- offers to arrange the transfer for you through a link or an app they send;
- turns up with someone else and wants to take the car away straight after the handshake.
Give the registration code only to a buyer who has paid and who is standing in front of you.
Fake messages that use the RDW name
The RDW has warned about text messages that claim to come from the RDW. They contain a link and ask for personal details. Do not click the link and do not share any details. A real transfer never needs you to enter your bank login on a page you reached through a message from a buyer. The RDW page for sellers explains what the official process asks of you.
Habits that protect you
A few habits keep you out of most trouble.
- Keep the conversation on the marketplace for as long as possible and use its own payment method if the advert offers one.
- Meet the buyer, with a second person if you can, and show the car in daylight at a place you choose.
- Check in your own banking app that the money has arrived before you hand over keys or documents. Do not trust a screenshot or an email saying the payment has been made.
- Give your documents only to the person who is buying, and do not send photographs of your registration card or code to anyone you have not met.
- Never send a copy of your ID to a buyer.
- If you are asked to pay anything to receive your money, stop.
If you have been cheated, the Fraudehelpdesk offers advice, and you should tell your bank straight away and the marketplace as well. If a message claims to come from the Fraudehelpdesk, check on their website before you respond, because scammers also use that name.
Selling to a company removes the contact with strangers, though you should still check who you are dealing with. You can get an offer from us at no cost and with no obligation, and the how it works page shows the steps.
Frequently asked questions
Why would a buyer ask me to send one cent?
The one-cent transfer is a way to lead you to a fake payment page. The Fraudehelpdesk says to ignore the request and to refuse any payment link a buyer sends you. A genuine buyer can pay by the marketplace payment method, cash or a transfer from their own banking app.
Is it safe to send a copy of my passport to a buyer?
No. The Fraudehelpdesk warns that criminals use a copy of your ID to pretend to be you. A genuine buyer has no need for it, because the buyer identifies themselves to the RDW when the registration is changed.
A courier company says I must pay before collecting my car. Is that normal?
No. A request to pay for insurance or fees before a pickup is a warning sign listed by the Fraudehelpdesk, especially when gift cards or prepaid cards are requested. Pay nothing, stop contact and report the buyer to the marketplace.
When should I give the buyer the car keys?
Only after the buyer has paid and you have the proof of transfer (vrijwaringsbewijs), or after the transfer has been confirmed in Mijn RDW or the Kentekencheck. The RDW advises sellers to hand over the vehicle only once they have this proof.
What if I already clicked a link or paid?
Contact your bank at once so they can help protect your accounts. Then contact the Fraudehelpdesk and report the buyer to the marketplace. Change your online banking passwords from a device you trust.
