5 Nextdoor Scams To Look Out for in 2023
Written by
Daria Uhlig
Edited by
Susan Kim
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The Nextdoor platform makes it easy to connect with your neighbors and local organizations. The site is organized into neighborhoods, so you can reach out to local users to socialize, share information, and give and receive recommendations for service providers. Despite the safety measures Nextdoor has in place, scammers sometimes use the site to commit fraud and engage in phishing.
See: 3 Simple Steps You Must Take To Shield Yourself From Identity Theft
Nextdoor Scams To Look Out for in 2023
Nextdoor scams typically take one of two forms, according to Nextdoor:
- Fraud: Deceptive practices fraudsters engage in for financial or personal gain
- Phishing: An attempt by a scammer to access your account or personal information
You also might encounter spam, which is unwanted and unsolicited communication.
Scammers are always coming up with new ways to harass and/or steal from users, but knowing what to look for will help you avoid being taken for a ride.
1. Fake For-Sale Ads
Nextdoor recently has received reports of fraudulent ads on its site, most of which offer vehicles or electronics for sale. The items are listed for bargain-basement prices that seem — and are — too good to be true. Often, the advertised item is the same thing that has been advertised by other sellers, and the fraudster claims to be listing it on behalf of a friend or family member.
One major red flag is the scammer’s request for payment via a gift card, wire transfer or other unusual payment method. In addition, they’re leery about discussing the item through the Nextdoor platform, asking that you email them instead. They might admit that they’re located outside the area, in which case they’ll offer to ship the item to you. Of course, they won’t, and because they received the payment via gift card, you can’t reverse your purchase or trace it to the scammer.
2. Contractor Scams
Users often go to Nextdoor to look for help with home improvements and repairs, which can make them easy targets for unscrupulous individuals posing as legitimate contractors. A user in Boynton Beach, Florida, fell victim to such a scam last year. A contractor reached out to her on the platform regarding a bathroom renovation, reported WPTV in West Palm Beach, Florida. He asked for half of the $9,000 job upfront, which the homeowner paid. The contractor started the job but disappeared once the demolition was complete. When the homeowner shared her experience on Nextdoor, she heard from dozens of South Florida residents who’d had similar experiences with contractors they’d found on social media.
3. Neighborhood Group Lottery Scam
In this scam, members receive a text message claiming that Nextdoor is running a contest where 20 winners each will win $650,000. The messages say the contest is part of a Nextdoor neighborhood group promotion, but in fact, there is no such promotion, Nextdoor confirmed. If you’ve received such a text, Nextdoor asks that you report it using this form.
4. Fake Home Rental
The Better Business Bureau website’s database of scam complaints has one from an individual in Texas who lost over $8,000 in a scam involving a fake rental listing on Nextdoor. The scammer posed as an individual authorized to lease the home on the owner’s behalf. The victim became suspicious when the fraudster refused to give them an account number for their rent deposit. The victim researched property records to confirm ownership and found that the community’s property owners association actually owned the home, and it was not for rent.
5. Fraudulent Buyer With Fake Cashier’s Check
In another scam complaint on the BBB website, a North Carolina resident who had an item listed for sale on Nextdoor said that someone reached out, claiming interest in purchasing the item. However, they would only communicate off-platform, via text. They promised to send a cashier’s check and have someone else pick up the item after the check cleared, and pressured the user to conduct the sale quickly. Noting that the scammer’s “grammar was off and did not feel right,” the member tried to continue communicating with the scammer via the Nextdoor app, to no avail.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. warns that cashier’s check scams prey on consumers’ sense of security that such checks are guaranteed — which they are, unless they’re counterfeit. As was the case with this scam, the fraudster typically wants to communicate by text message or email, and the communication often contains typos and poor grammar.
How To Keep From Getting Scammed
Nextdoor has a number of measures in place to help safeguard users. For example, it requires that users use their real names. In addition, it displays a verified badge on posts from businesses it has verified through documents like business licenses and permits, employer identification number confirmations from the IRS, articles of incorporation, business credit reports and business bank account statements. It also publishes information about known scams and tips for avoiding them — you’ll find this information in the help center on its website.
Here are some strategies Nextdoor suggests for protecting yourself against fraud.
- Don’t make payments with a gift card.
- Never give out personal information like credit card, bank account and Social Security numbers.
- Be suspicious of oddly formatted messages, those with typos and other errors, and those that say your password is attached.
- Use caution when clicking links from someone you don’t know. Hover over the link with your mouse to display the URL so you can see if the link goes where you expect it to. Using the mobile app, tap and hold the link to display a preview. The preview will display the URL in the top left corner.
- Report spam and suspicious posts by clicking the three dots to the right of the author’s name, selecting “Report” and filling in the requested information. You can also report suspicious members by clicking their name in the newsfeed, clicking the three dots in the top right corner of their profile, selecting “Report,” and filling in the requested information.
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