7 Common Used-Phone Scams (and How to Avoid Every One)

Used-phone scams are rarely clever. They work because they happen fast — in a parking lot, a busy phone market or a chat that pushes you to decide right now. Once you know the seven patterns behind almost every case, they become easy to spot, and each one has a simple check that shuts it down.

Here they are, with the warning signs and the exact defense for each.

1. The iCloud-locked “just forgot the password” phone

How it works: the iPhone looks perfect, but it’s still linked to someone’s Apple ID with Find My on. The seller says it “just needs the password reset” or that “any shop can unlock it for a small fee”. After a reset, the phone shows “iPhone Locked to Owner” and is unusable.

Warning signs: the seller won’t open Settings › [name], has no password, or offers an “iCloud bypass”.

Defense: check the IMEI with the Model + Find My check before meeting, then watch the seller sign out of their Apple ID and erase the phone. Android has the same trick with Google FRP and Samsung Reactivation Lock. Our Activation Lock guide explains why only the owner or Apple can remove it.

2. The blacklisted or “will be blocked later” phone

How it works: the phone works perfectly at the meeting. Days or weeks later it shows “No service” because its IMEI was reported lost or stolen, or — in the US — because the original contract or installment plan was never paid.

Warning signs: a very low price, a seller pushing to meet immediately, or a US phone with a vague history.

Defense: run a GSMA blacklist check on the IMEI shown by *#06#. For US phones add the USA blacklist / barred check. See what a blacklisted IMEI means for every possible result.

3. The box swap

How it works: the seller sends you a photo of the box label so you can “check the IMEI yourself”. The box belongs to a clean phone; the phone in it is locked, blacklisted or a lower model. Your check comes back clean because you checked the wrong phone.

Warning signs: the seller only shares the IMEI from the box or a receipt, never from the phone screen.

Defense: always get the IMEI from the phone itself — dial *#06# and compare with Settings › General › About (iPhone) or Settings › About phone (Android). Then compare with the box. Any mismatch ends the deal.

4. The swap at the moment of payment

How it works: you test the phone, everything is fine, and you hand it back while you count the money or open your banking app. In that moment the seller swaps it for an identical-looking phone that is locked, broken or a dummy.

Warning signs: a seller who takes the phone back “to put it in the box” or “to remove the SIM”, or a second person crowding you.

Defense: once the phone passes your checks, keep it in your hand until you’ve paid. Put your own SIM in it before paying and confirm it still shows the same IMEI.

5. The fake or rebuilt phone sold as new

How it works: a clone running Android with an iPhone-style skin, or a real phone rebuilt with cheap parts and rewrapped in a new-looking box, sold as “brand new, sealed”.

Warning signs: shrink-wrap on a recent iPhone box, missing True Tone, “Unknown Part” messages, or an App Store that doesn’t behave normally.

Defense: run the All-in-one Basic Info check and confirm the model, color and storage match. On iPhones, read the model number prefix and Parts and Service History. Our guide to spotting fake and refurbished iPhones covers every test.

6. The “factory unlocked” phone that isn’t

How it works: many phones sold abroad are US carrier models still locked to their original network, or company devices enrolled in MDM. They’re advertised as “factory unlocked” and work on Wi-Fi, so the problem only appears when you insert your SIM — or when a “Remote Management” screen appears after a reset.

Warning signs: the seller won’t let you test your own SIM, or says “it just needs a software update to work on your network”.

Defense: test your SIM with a real call, and check with a carrier + SIM-lock check. For company phones, iPads and Macs, the MDM status check shows if a device is enrolled in management.

7. Payment scams (on both sides)

For buyers: the most common trick is the deposit. A seller asks you to pay a deposit, delivery fee or “insurance” before you see the phone, then disappears. Another version: a fake escrow or “marketplace payment” link sent by message.

For sellers: the buyer shows a screenshot, SMS or email “proving” a bank transfer, or claims to have overpaid and asks for a refund of the difference. The payment never arrives, or it reverses later.

Defense:

• Never pay in advance for a local deal.
• On shipping platforms like eBay, only pay through the platform’s own checkout.
• Sellers: confirm the money is in your account in your own banking app before handing over the phone. Ignore screenshots and SMS alerts.
• Never pay with gift cards or crypto for a used phone.

The 60-second anti-scam routine

1. Get the IMEI from the phone itself with *#06#.
2. Run the blacklist, Find My and carrier checks below.
3. Meet in public, test with your own SIM, and watch the seller sign out and reset.
4. Keep the phone in your hand while you pay.
5. Get a receipt with the IMEI.

For the full step-by-step, read our marketplace buying checklist or go straight to the check a phone before buying page.

If you’ve already been scammed

Act quickly. Report the listing and the seller’s profile to the platform, and keep every message, phone number and payment record. If you paid by bank transfer or card, contact your bank immediately — some transfers can be flagged or disputed if you move fast. If the phone is stolen or the seller took your money, file a police report with the IMEI and the chat history. Don’t pay anyone who promises to “unlock” or “recover” the phone or your money; recovery scams target people who were just scammed.