OLX: courier, BLIK and WhatsApp scams — what should raise suspicion?

Author: Damian Jabłoński

Do not provide card details to receive money, send a BLIK code or pay through a link in a message. These are the basic rules for protection against common OLX scams.

Zdjęcie: Gustavo Fring / Pexels

Three signals that should end the conversation

End the conversation when someone sends a link to receive money, asks for a BLIK code or pressures you to move from OLX to WhatsApp. Do not provide card details to receive a payment. Do not send a BLIK code or open a payment link from a suspicious message.

• Link to receive money — the buyer claims to have paid and then sends a page where you must enter card or login details.
• Request for a BLIK code — the code is used to approve a payment, not to receive money.
• Contact outside OLX — the conversation moves to WhatsApp, where some of the contact history and the ability to use the platform’s mechanisms disappear.

Courier scam: “the payment has already been sent”

The scheme often starts with a message from someone interested in the listing. The buyer writes that they have paid for the item and ordered a courier. They then say that to receive the money, you must click a link or confirm your details on the provided page.

The scam begins when the other person directs you to a page resembling OLX, a courier company or a payment service. The fake page may ask for your card number, expiry date, security code or online banking login details. Such data may be used in an attempt to make an unauthorized transaction.

You do not need to enter card details on a page sent by the buyer to receive money. You also do not need to confirm receipt of a payment through a link in a message. Stop the conversation, do not open the page and check the transaction status only in the official place where the transaction was made.

BLIK scam: the code is used to send money

A request for a BLIK code may look like a routine instruction for receiving payment. The other person may claim that the code is needed to confirm a transfer or withdraw funds.

A BLIK code is used to approve a payment, which means sending money. It is not a way to receive payment from a buyer. Providing the code to another person may allow them to initiate a transaction that still has to be approved in the banking app.

Do not provide a BLIK code or approve an operation that you did not order yourself. If the other person insists on this method of payment, end the transaction and do not continue the correspondence.

WhatsApp instead of OLX: why this is a warning sign

The conversation may start on OLX with a short question about whether the item is available. The other person then asks for your phone number and suggests continuing the conversation on WhatsApp. They may explain this by referring to convenience, a faster response or shipping arrangements.

Outside the platform, the conversation history no longer remains in one place and some tools connected with the listing disappear. It also becomes easier to send a fake link, impersonate a payment or apply pressure without the context visible next to the listing. A request to use WhatsApp does not prove fraud, but it is a signal to exercise particular caution.

The safest option is to end the exchange when the other person combines moving to WhatsApp with a payment link, a request for card details, a BLIK code or pressure to make a quick decision. You do not have to continue a transaction if the method of contact raises doubts.

Fake OLX Pay or delivery page

A fake payment page may have the OLX logo, the name of a delivery service and an appearance similar to the real service. Appearance alone does not confirm that it is authentic.

Check the address visible in the browser bar. Look for typos, additional words, an unusual domain and an address that does not match the official website. Do not enter data on a page opened from a message sent by an unknown person.

Do not open payment pages from suspicious messages. Use payments only in the correct app or after entering the official website yourself. Do not give anyone your card details, login, password or authorization code.

When Łowca is not needed

Łowca does not replace caution when communicating with a seller or buyer. It does not confirm that a link is authentic and does not guarantee that a seller is honest.

For one specific transaction, basic security rules are enough: do not provide card details to receive money, do not send a BLIK code, do not click suspicious links and do not continue a conversation under pressure. If you have already chosen a listing and do not need to search for similar offers, using Łowca is not necessary.

Where Łowca can help before contacting the seller

Łowca monitors OLX, Otomoto, Otomoto (parts), Allegro Lokalnie, Vinted, Otodom and Sprzedajemy. For listings, it may show signals of increased risk, such as a new account, a request for advance payment, contact outside the platform or shipping only.

These labels help draw attention to elements that need to be checked before contacting the seller. They do not mean that fraud has been certainly detected and do not replace an independent assessment of the transaction.

Łowca combines duplicates of the same listing posted on several monitored services and moves higher-risk offers to a separate “check carefully” section. This makes it possible to assess warning signs before starting a conversation.

What to do after sending money or data

Act immediately and follow these safe steps in order:

1. Contact your bank and report an unauthorized transaction or the disclosure of your data.
2. Secure the account whose details may have been exposed. Change the password and check active sessions and recent operations.
3. Keep the messages, website address, confirmations, transaction numbers and screenshots. Do not delete the conversation with the scammer.
4. Report the listing and account on the service where the contact took place.
5. Report the matter to the appropriate institutions and provide the preserved documentation.

Do not approve further operations just because the other person promises a refund. Do not give them any additional data or codes.

Frequently asked questions

Can I receive money through BLIK?

Money can be sent to your account using another method, but providing a BLIK code is not used to receive a payment. A BLIK code approves a payment, so do not give it to someone from a listing.

Why does the buyer send a link to receive payment?

The link may lead to a fake page that steals card details, login details or authorization codes. You do not need to enter card details on a page sent by the buyer to receive money.

Are card details needed to receive money?

No. You do not need to provide card details in a form from a message to receive money. Do not enter your card number, expiry date or security code on a suspicious page.

What should I do if the seller wants to move to WhatsApp?

Treat such a request as a warning sign, especially when it appears together with a link, a request for advance payment or time pressure. You can end the conversation and not continue the transaction outside the platform.

How can I check whether the OLX payment page is genuine?

Check the address in the browser bar and look for typos, an unusual domain and additional words. Do not open a payment page from a suspicious message. Use it only in the correct app or after entering the official website yourself.

What should I do after clicking a fake OLX link?

Do not enter any data and close the page. If you entered data or approved an operation, contact your bank, secure your account, keep the messages and report the matter to the appropriate institutions.

Does Łowca detect scams in listings?

Łowca shows signals of increased risk, such as a new account, a request for advance payment, contact outside the platform or shipping only. It does not detect scams with certainty and does not replace checking the transaction.

Do scam warnings increase before the holidays?

Before the holidays, it is worth exercising particular caution, but the time of year alone does not confirm a scam. Regardless of the date, do not provide BLIK codes, card details or login details to people contacting you through a listing.

Updated: 2026-10-28