How I Nearly Got Scammed at an Estate Sale, Twice

When a close friend asked me to help advertise their estate sale online, I jumped at the chance. Selling off family possessions can be stressful, and if I could make it easier, I would.

But it wasn’t long before the scammers began casting their bait. Luckily, I avoided the hook, but not without taking a nibble first.

Here are a few ways people used the estate sale to try to steal my bank details, and what I would do differently next time.

Suspicious transfer requests

Our estate sale took place over the course of a weekend. You can hire a company to do the heavy lifting for you — advertising, cataloging and selling — but we decided to handle our own sale to keep it simple. Plus, we’d heard a few horror stories of stolen deposits and unfair contracts, so running the sale ourselves felt like the safest option.

We advertised the event (as well as a few specific items) on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and estate sale websites. For the most part, people stopped by the house, perused the goods, bought a few things and left. Easy.

On the second day, someone messaged us on Facebook asking to buy one of the items ahead of time, which they’d pick up later that day. This seemed reasonable until they asked for more detailed transfer information.

When we looked at their Facebook profile, we saw it had only been active for a few months, they had no friends and had only interacted via Marketplace listings — typical red flags for a fake account. Our guess was they were after the bank details, not the item.

This type of scam isn’t new. One Redditor reports being sent fake Interac e-Transfer links via Facebook Marketplace that led to their bank details being stolen.

Another Redditor explains how a potential buyer on Kijiji asked for their email address to send a transfer request — a simple phishing scam to get you to click on a fraudulent link. One way to circumvent these scams is to set up Interac Autodeposit. This allows arriving funds to go directly into your bank account without you having to enter your details manually.

With so many Canadians taking part in the second-hand economy — about 77% in the past year, according to a DIG360 and Angus Reid survey — it’s important to be overly skeptical and extra vigilant when buying or selling items online, whether you’re hosting an estate sale or simply decluttering your home.

What I’d do differently next time: Because we weren’t shipping any of the items, I’d only take payments in person — no matter how eager someone is to buy an item online. This also keeps the process simple: show up and buy something, or don’t.

Fake eBay listing

A week after the estate sale ended, I received an email saying I had sold an item on eBay and needed to connect my bank account to complete the transaction. The only problem was I hadn’t listed anything on eBay.

Turns out, a scammer had hacked my eBay account, updated the details to match those of the estate sale and used pictures we’d posted on Facebook to create a listing. When someone bought the item, it prompted the request to connect my bank account — which would have given the scammer access to my bank details. I alerted eBay immediately, and they flagged the incident.

It’s not hard to fall for these types of scams because they’re subtle and thrive in the fast-paced world of online marketplaces where people are eager to make quick transactions — and where personal details may be more visible than we realize.

Many scammers bank on being able to rush you into a decision. Roughly 82% of Canadian fraud victims reported feeling anxious before being scammed, with 77% feeling stressed and 78% feeling concerned, according to a 2025 study from Interac Corp.

In high-stress environments like estate sales, when we’re posting to personal social media accounts, and keen to make a sale, we may be too flustered or distracted to recognize potential threats. In 2024, roughly 36,228 people were victims of fraud, according to the Government of Canada website.

What I’d do differently next time: Keep a beady eye on my selling platforms and only use secure communication portals, when available. I’d also update the passwords to my Kijiji, eBay, Etsy and Shopify accounts, even if I’m not using them. And keep a close eye on log-in activity during and immediately after the estate sale.

Estate sale tips from a newbie

Despite the close calls, our estate sale wasn’t all doom and gloom. We chatted with neighbors, made new friends, and learned a lot. Here’s what I’d recommend to first-time estate-sellers:

List standout items separately, with a link to the estate sale. This can attract buyers who may not be familiar with estate sales, but are interested in buying a specific item. Again, this is not to sell them online, but rather draw more customers to the in-person event.
Create a “for free” area in the house. Put all of the smaller, non-sentimental items, like toys, blankets and art supplies, in one area for people to take. It’s a quick way to clear clutter.
Be prepared to give away expensive items. You may not find a buyer for every item, especially large or niche pieces. If we couldn’t sell something, we felt it was better to give it away rather than to pay for junk removal.
Ask yourself what’s more important: Speed or money? If you need to empty the house by a certain date, price everything low. If you don’t have a hard deadline, try to sell higher-value pieces for more money online — but expect a harder and slower process.
Make sure you use a reputable estate sale company. If you don’t have the time to run the sale yourself, there are companies that do it for a fee. Research them thoroughly before signing any contracts or sharing personal details.

If you think you’re been a victim of fraud, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and report it. The more details the authorities have on active scams, the easier it is for them to stop them.