UK Marketplace Fraud Statistics 2026

How do you cite UK marketplace fraud statistics correctly?

Every figure on this page is paired with its primary source URL — click through to verify the original publication before citing in journalism, research, or regulatory submissions. This page is published under CC-BY 4.0; re-use freely with a link back to silentid.co.uk/uk-marketplace-fraud-statistics-2026.

Every figure below is paired with its primary source URL. Click the source link to verify the original publication. This page is published under CC-BY 4.0 — re-use it freely with a link back to silentid.co.uk/uk-marketplace-fraud-statistics-2026. If a stat is missing a URL it is because the original source (e.g. a TSB media briefing) is not currently published on a stable URL — we have linked to the publishing organisation instead.

1 — What are the headline UK marketplace fraud numbers in 2026?

£160,000 stolen on Facebook Marketplace every single day, £1.17 billion lost to UK payment fraud in 2023, and an 18% recovery rate for victims — these are the figures used by journalists, banks and regulators in 2026. All are sourced from TSB, UK Finance, and Cifas primary publications with direct links below.

The most-cited UK marketplace fraud figures used by journalists, banks and regulators in 2026.

£160,000 stolen daily on Facebook Marketplace

UK losses to Facebook Marketplace purchase scams, based on TSB’s internal fraud-claim data extrapolated to the UK Faster Payments population. Equivalent to roughly £58 million per year on a single platform. Source: TSB(2025)

£1.17 billion lost to UK payment fraud in 2023

Total of unauthorised (£708.7m) and authorised push payment (£459.7m) fraud losses across UK retail banking in 2023. Purchase scams are the largest single APP fraud category by case volume. Source: UK Finance Annual Fraud Report 2024(UK Finance, 2024)

£459.7 million lost to authorised push payment (APP) scams in 2023

APP fraud is the regulatory category covering marketplace purchase scams, romance fraud, investment scams and impersonation. Purchase scams accounted for the largest share of cases by volume. Source: UK Finance Annual Fraud Report 2024(UK Finance, 2024)

Highest level of fraud cases ever recorded in 2024

Cifas recorded the highest annual volume of fraud cases ever filed to its National Fraud Database in 2023, with the trend continuing into 2024. Source: Cifas Fraudscape 2024(Cifas, 2024)

18% recovery rate for UK fraud victims

Only 18% of UK fraud victims fully recover their losses, per Cifas consumer-survey data widely cited by UK retail banks. Source: Cifas

2 — Which UK marketplace platforms have the highest fraud rates?

Facebook Marketplace accounts for 73% of all UK purchase fraud by platform origin, according to TSB’s 2025 data — Vinted is second by complaint volume, followed by Depop, Gumtree and eBay. The concentration in Facebook Marketplace reflects its scale (10m+ UK monthly users) and its frictionless stranger-to-stranger design.

Where UK marketplace fraud actually starts. Facebook Marketplace remains the dominant attack surface; Vinted is second by complaint volume; Depop, Gumtree and eBay round out the top five.

73% of UK purchase fraud starts on Facebook Marketplace

Across TSB’s purchase-fraud caseload, almost three-quarters of cases originated on Facebook Marketplace — a wider lead than any other UK consumer platform. Source: TSB(2025)

50,000+ Vinted accounts banned in 2024

Vinted’s reported account-removal volume from its 2024 trust and safety enforcement, widely cited in UK consumer-affairs coverage. Source: Cifas / Vinted Trust & Safety reporting(2024)

Vinted scams in the Action Fraud claims database

Action Fraud maintains a dedicated Vinted scams claims category, indicating the platform’s standalone case volume. Source: Action Fraud

Vinted and Depop are the top second-hand fraud destinations Starling warns customers about

Starling Bank’s consumer fraud-prevention guidance singles out Vinted and Depop as the highest-risk second-hand platforms its UK customers transact on. Source: Starling Bank

11 distinct Facebook Marketplace scam patterns documented

Norton’s 2024-2025 Facebook Marketplace consumer guidance documents eleven repeating UK scam templates, from fake-postage label fraud to overpayment refunds. Source: Norton UK

Gumtree consistently appears in Which? marketplace investigations

Which? Money’s 2024 second-hand marketplace investigation included Gumtree alongside Facebook Marketplace, Vinted, Depop and eBay in its scam-prevalence reporting. Source: Which?

3 — Who gets scammed on UK marketplaces, and how often?

37% of Brits have been scammed on an online marketplace (Experian), and 1 in 3 UK buyers report being scammed on second-hand platforms (Which? 2024) — buyers bear most of the loss, though 22% of sellers also report being scammed. Millennials are disproportionately exposed because they transact most frequently on these platforms.

Marketplace fraud is broadly distributed but consumer surveys show buyers (not sellers) bear most of the loss, and millennials are disproportionately exposed because they transact most often.

37% of Brits have been scammed on an online marketplace

Experian UK consumer-survey data on lifetime exposure to online marketplace fraud across UK adults. Source: Experian

1 in 3 UK buyers scammed on second-hand marketplaces

Which? Money’s 2024 investigation surveying UK adults who had bought from a second-hand marketplace. Source: Which?(Which?, 2024)

22% of UK marketplace sellers report being scammed

Same Which? investigation, seller-side figure: more than one in five UK sellers say a buyer has scammed them. Source: Which?(Which?, 2024)

Victim case studies routinely exceed £7,000 in single Facebook Marketplace incidents

Which? Scamwatch documented a single Facebook Marketplace case where the victim lost more than £7,000 to an elaborate impersonation scam — typical of the higher-end loss profile. Source: Which? Scamwatch

4 — Which payment methods are used most in UK marketplace scams?

Bank transfer (Faster Payments) and PayPal Friends & Family dominate reported UK marketplace losses because neither offers buyer recourse — once the money leaves your account, there is no recall mechanism. TSB’s fraud reporting consistently identifies Faster Payments as the most-requested payment method in purchase scams that result in loss.

The payment method matters more than the platform. Bank transfer (Faster Payments) and PayPal Friends & Family dominate reported UK marketplace losses because neither offers buyer recourse.

Bank transfer is the dominant payment method in reported UK marketplace scams

TSB’s purchase-fraud reporting consistently identifies Faster Payments bank transfer as the most-requested payment method in scams that result in loss. Once sent, Faster Payments cannot be recalled by the sender’s bank. Source: TSB

PayPal Friends & Family carries zero buyer or seller protection by design

PayPal’s F&F option excludes both Buyer and Seller Protection — widely flagged in MoneySavingExpert and Citizens Advice consumer guidance as unsuitable for marketplace transactions. Source: MoneySavingExpert

Fake-postage-label and fake-tracking fraud is the most-cited Vinted scam pattern

Action Fraud and Starling Bank both highlight fake-postage-label scams (where a buyer claims an item was never received using a fabricated tracking number) as the leading Vinted-specific attack pattern. Source: Action Fraud

Fake-collection and ‘deposit before viewing’ scams dominate Facebook Marketplace pickup fraud

Norton’s UK Facebook Marketplace guide identifies deposit-before-viewing and fake-collection (where the “seller” disappears after the deposit) as the dominant pickup-fraud pattern. Source: Norton UK

5 — What are the recovery rates for UK marketplace fraud victims?

Only 18% of UK fraud victims fully recover their money (Cifas) — even after the October 2024 mandatory APP reimbursement rules from the Payment Systems Regulator, recovery is not automatic and many marketplace cases remain disputed. Banks may decline reimbursement where the victim ignored a specific warning or failed to take basic precautions.

Recovery is the single biggest gap. The October 2024 mandatory APP reimbursement rules from the Payment Systems Regulator improved outcomes for some victims, but recovery is not automatic and many marketplace cases remain disputed.

18% of UK fraud victims fully recover their money

Cifas consumer-survey data widely cited across UK retail banking and consumer-affairs coverage. Source: Cifas

£85,000 maximum reimbursement under APP fraud rules (October 2024)

Since 7 October 2024, UK Faster Payments and CHAPS providers must reimburse eligible APP-fraud victims up to £85,000 per claim, split 50/50 between the sending and receiving payment service providers. Marketplace purchase fraud is in scope but subject to a consumer-standard-of-caution exception. Source: Payment Systems Regulator(PSR, 2024)

Faster Payments cannot be recalled once sent

The UK Faster Payments scheme has no inbuilt recall mechanism — once a payment lands in a beneficiary account, the sending bank cannot unilaterally reverse it. This is the structural reason marketplace bank-transfer fraud is so hard to undo. Source: Pay.UK / UK Finance

Reimbursement is contingent on a ‘consumer standard of caution’

Banks may decline reimbursement where the victim ignored a specific direct warning or failed to take basic precautions — making documented, in-app safety prompts increasingly important for marketplace transactions. Source: Payment Systems Regulator(PSR, 2024)

6 — How are UK banks blocking marketplace fraud in 2026?

Santander UK blocked or challenged over 1,800 Faster Payments to suspected Facebook Marketplace sellers in 2025 — a public signal that UK retail banks have shifted from passive monitoring to active blocking of suspected marketplace transfers. TSB has been the most vocal, publishing the £160,000-per-day figure used by national press and Parliament.

UK retail banks have shifted from passive monitoring to active blocking of suspected marketplace transfers. Santander’s published numbers are the clearest public evidence of the trend.

1,800+ Santander customers protected from Facebook Marketplace transfers in 2025

Santander’s automated payment-screening system blocked or challenged Faster Payments to suspected Facebook Marketplace sellers, protecting more than 1,800 customers in 2025 alone. Source: Santander UK press release(Santander UK, 2025)

TSB publishes Facebook Marketplace fraud data because its own customers are over-exposed

TSB has been the most-vocal UK retail bank on Facebook Marketplace fraud, publishing the £160,000-per-day figure used by national press, regulators and Parliament in 2025. Source: TSB

UK retail banks now treat Facebook Marketplace as a high-risk recipient pattern

Santander’s and TSB’s public statements describe automated friction, screen warnings and outright blocks on payments to suspected Facebook Marketplace sellers — a significant shift from pre-2024 passive monitoring. Source: Santander UK / TSB / industry

Action Fraud is the central UK reporting channel

Action Fraud, run by City of London Police, is the official UK reporting channel for fraud and cybercrime. Marketplace scams should be reported here in addition to the relevant bank. Source: Action Fraud (City of London Police)

7 — Where are UK marketplace fraud numbers heading in 2026?

Facebook Marketplace case volumes and Vinted account bans are rising, AI-generated listing reuse is accelerating, and APP reimbursement claims have increased since October 2024 — but the 18% victim recovery rate has remained broadly steady. The one declining trend is reliance on bank transfer for marketplace payments, as Santander’s and TSB’s active blocking re-routes buyers towards safer alternatives.

• Up: Facebook Marketplace case volume (TSB), Vinted account bans (Cifas), AI-generated listing reuse (Norton), and APP-reimbursement claims since October 2024 (PSR).
• Steady: The 18% recovery rate (Cifas) — APP reimbursement should improve this in 2026 reporting, but the consumer-standard-of-caution exception keeps a meaningful shortfall.
• Down: Reliance on bank transfer for marketplace payments — Santander’s and TSB’s active blocking is measurably re-routing UK consumers towards safer payment methods for marketplace pickups.

8 — What does the UK marketplace fraud data look like at a glance?

The eight key figures: £160k/day stolen on Facebook Marketplace, 73% of UK purchase fraud starting there, £1.17bn lost to payment fraud in 2023, 18% recovery rate, 37% of Brits scammed, 1 in 3 buyers hit on second-hand markets, 22% of sellers scammed, 1,800+ Santander customers saved in 2025. All figures are sourced and linked in the sections above.

Related

• Facebook Marketplace scam statistics (UK 2026)
• Vinted scam statistics (UK 2026)
• Safe payment for Facebook Marketplace pickup (UK)
• Free UK scam checker — Safety Check