Nextdoor Scams - Nextdoor is a Prime Target for Local Scammers Online

What is Nextdoor?

Nextdoor, a private social networking platform that connects people within local neighborhoods, allows neighbors to interact with each other, discuss local issues, share recommendations for services or businesses, plan events and much more. 

How is Nextdoor Being Used for Fraudulent Activity?

While the service is excellent for fostering a sense of community and belonging, it is also ripe hunting ground for scammers because of the false sense of security. Nextdoor users think that because people on the app are within their immediate community, they can be trusted. While many can, there are many that cannot. Scammers are exploiting and preying on unsuspecting community members. There's a mistaken belief that community members are inherently trustworthy due to their proximity. As a result, people may overshare personal information about themselves, easily fall for scams using the Nextdoor buying/selling feature, and overlook the importance of thoroughly researching contractors.

Similar to all other social communication platforms, Nextdoor will have its fair share of fraudulent activity. However, that should not preclude you from using it. Most people will not encounter any serious issues on Nextdoor. But you should be aware of potential scam opportunities on Nextdoor so you can leverage the platform safely without putting yourself at risk.

While the internet offers tremendous benefits for regular users, it also provides opportunities for various types of scams. Scammers exploit vulnerabilities in systems and in human behavior. It is important to be well-versed on the scams out there to be able to spot red flags.

Top 4 Nextdoor Scams

Here are four of the most common scams on Nextdoor:

1.Listing Scams - There have been many versions of this scam both on the buyer side and the seller side:

• They tell you they wired you too much money for the item and ask you to wire it back. Note: Your payment service never actually received the money in the first place

• Scammers ask you for money upfront and never meet up with you to sell you the item

• They sell you fake tickets and gift cards that you eventually find out are counterfeit

• They claim to be offering an item on behalf of someone else. This could be to lend credibility by claiming to be someone you know or associate with

• They ask to be contacted outside of Nextdoor to discuss specifics. This is to attempt to evade platform security and to make it harder to track the scammer down

• They request payment by gift card or another obscure payment method

• They tell you that they are out of town and can ship the item to you after you transfer them money

2. Contractor Fraud - You found a contractor to do a project for you based on another Nextdoor neighbor’s recommendation (be careful here - scammers can create fake profiles to comment on their own “business” to increase legitimacy). The contractor will ask for payment upfront for supplies and tools. Once payment is made, the contractor does not return and does not answer your phone calls

3. Inexperienced Service Provider - You can have people who are well-intentioned but not masters in the skill they are offering, or you can have scammers who purposely advertise a service that they do not have expertise in. Regardless, you run the risk of getting a service provider who is inexperienced, untrained, and is not the best fit to do the job you are paying them to do. You do not find this out until it is too late

4. Pet Scams - Scammers reach out to you if you post that your pet is missing. They claim that they found your pet and ask for a reward upfront prior to returning the pet. They do not have your pet 

How to Avoid Being Scammed

To avoid falling victim to these scams, do your research. Research the contractor. Research the service provider. Research the buyer/seller. If you see a deal that is too good to be true, it probably is. Stay current with trending scam alerts and discussions to ensure you are prepared for the attack that might be perpetrated against you. Take the time to do research to ensure you do not become a victim of a scam. If a conversation, offering, or communication does not make sense, move on. Do not force something to happen that does not make sense. If you start sensing something is off, it probably is. Do not let the false sense of community on Nextdoor make you turn a blind eye to the scammers that are lurking in the background.