Short answer: yes, OfferUp is a legitimate company and the largest mobile-focused local marketplace in the US. It merged with Letgo in 2020, has tens of millions of users, and facilitates real transactions every day.
The concerns about OfferUp are different from most resale platforms: they're less about the company itself and more about the local, in-person nature of most transactions — and the genuine fraud and safety risks that come with meeting strangers to exchange cash and goods.
How OfferUp transactions work
OfferUp offers two types of transactions:
Local/in-person: You meet the buyer or seller to exchange item and payment directly. OfferUp facilitates the match; the actual transaction happens between two people. OfferUp has no ability to protect you on a cash-in-hand, in-person deal.
Shipped (OfferUp Payments): Higher-priced items can be shipped using OfferUp's checkout. This comes with buyer and seller protection similar to other platforms — item not received, significantly not as described — but it's a smaller portion of OfferUp's transaction volume.
Most OfferUp transactions are local. For local deals, your protection is your own judgment, your choice of meeting location, and the other party's TruYou verification status.
The scams that actually happen on OfferUp
Cash fraud: A buyer hands you counterfeit bills. Inspect any cash you receive. Better yet, use an app that accepts payment before you hand over the item.
Off-platform payment requests: A buyer or seller asks you to continue via Zelle, Venmo, or PayPal F&F. Once you complete a local-style transaction outside the platform, OfferUp can't help you.
Bait-and-switch: A buyer shows up to look at an item, then pressures you into a lower price in person. You can say no. If they're aggressive, you can walk away.
Fake payment apps: A buyer shows you a screenshot of a "completed" Venmo payment. Screenshots can be faked. Confirm funds are actually in your account before handing over any item.
Overpayment scam: A buyer sends you a check or payment for more than the asking price, then asks you to wire back the difference. The original payment bounces; you're out the "refund" you sent.
Robbery: This happens. OfferUp explicitly recommends meeting at police station parking lots for high-value transactions. Take this seriously for anything over $100.
TruYou verification — what it means and what it doesn't
OfferUp's TruYou badge means the user has submitted a government ID for verification. This confirms the person's legal identity — it does not verify their trustworthiness, prevent scams, or guarantee a good transaction. It just means you have a record of who they are.
For high-value transactions, prefer TruYou verified users. It reduces the risk of outright fraud but doesn't eliminate it.
Safe meetup practices
- Meet in public. A busy coffee shop, a police station community room, or a shopping center parking lot. Never at your home or theirs for a first transaction.
- Bring someone with you for high-value items
- Verify payment before handing over the item. If accepting cash, inspect it. If accepting Venmo, confirm the balance in your account before you give up the item.
- Tell someone where you're going — especially for evening or remote meetups
- Trust your gut. If something feels off when you're in the parking lot, leave.
Many police departments have designated "safe exchange zones" in their parking lots specifically for this purpose. OfferUp's app shows nearby safe exchange locations.
When OfferUp is actually a good choice
OfferUp is well-suited for:
- Large items that can't be shipped easily (furniture, exercise equipment, appliances)
- Same-city transactions where you want to inspect before paying
- Lower-value items where platform fees on Poshmark or eBay aren't worth it
- Quick, cash-based transactions for simple goods
For anything that can be shipped, you have better platform protection on eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, or Facebook Marketplace with shipping.
The shipped transaction option
For items over a certain price, OfferUp supports shipping with buyer protection. This is meaningfully safer than in-person:
- OfferUp holds payment until delivery
- You can dispute items that don't match descriptions
- Standard fraud protections apply
If you're buying or selling anything over $100 on OfferUp and the item can be shipped, seriously consider the shipped option over a local meetup.
The bottom line
OfferUp is a legitimate platform. The risks are the same risks that come with any local cash-based transaction between strangers — counterfeit currency, bait-and-switch, and in rare cases, physical safety concerns. These aren't unique to OfferUp; they're the nature of the local marketplace model.
Use common sense: meet in public, verify payment before handing over anything, and for high-value items, use OfferUp's shipped checkout instead of a local cash deal.