How to Identify and Avoid Phishing Scams on EstateSales.org
What is Phishing?
Phishing is a type of online scam where criminals impersonate legitimate companies or services to trick you into providing sensitive information such as passwords, credit card numbers, or bank account details. These scammers often create fake websites that look nearly identical to the real thing.
How Phishing Works on EstateSales.org
Scammers may create accounts on our platform and send messages to sellers claiming:
- A buyer is waiting for them
- They need to "verify" their account
- Urgent action is required
- Payment information needs to be updated
These messages contain links to fake websites designed to steal your information.
Red Flags: How to Spot a Phishing Scam
1. Check the Website URL
Legitimate EstateSales.org links will ALWAYS contain estatesales.org or billingportal.com in the domain.
❌ FAKE: verify.confirmation-id932.com
❌ FAKE: estatesales-verify.com
❌ FAKE: estate-sales.secure-login.com
✅ REAL: estatesales.org
✅ REAL: support.estatesales.org
✅ REAL: billingportal.com/s/estatesales/subscriptions (for viewing your subscription payment history)
If a link asks you to go anywhere other than estatesales.org or billingportal.com, it is a scam.
Example of a fake scam landing page. Note that the URL is not estatesales.org:
2. Suspicious Sender Names
Be wary of messages from accounts with generic, bot-like names such as:
- "Notification BOT"
- "Estate Sale Bot"
- "EstateSalesTeam"
- "Verification Service"
- "Support Bot"
- Any name that sounds automated or official but is not from our verified support team
3. Urgent or Threatening Language
Scammers create a false sense of urgency to pressure you into acting without thinking:
- "Action Required"
- "Verify immediately or lose access"
- "Customer waiting - act now"
- "Account will be suspended"
4. Requests for Payment Information
EstateSales.org will never ask you to enter or update payment details through:
- Messages from other users
- External verification links
- Unsolicited emails with links
5. Poor Grammar or Formatting
Many phishing messages contain:
- Awkward phrasing
- Grammatical errors
- Inconsistent formatting
- Generic greetings like "Dear Seller" instead of your name
Example of a Phishing Scam
Below is an actual phishing message that was sent to sellers on our platform:
Notice the red flags:
- External domain (not estatesales.org)
- Sender name "Notification BOT" (not our official support)
- Urgent language: "Action Required"
- Request to verify account through external link
- Generic greeting
The fake website:
- URL does not contain estatesales.org
- Asks for payment card details
- May look professional and mention actual items for sale but is completely fraudulent
What to Do If You Receive a Suspicious Message
- Do not click any links in the message
- Do not respond to the sender
- Report the message to our support team
- Delete the message from your inbox
- Block the sender if possible
What to Do If You've Been Scammed
If you already clicked a link and entered information:
- Change your passwords immediately - especially your EstateSales.org password and email password
- Contact your bank or credit card company - report the potential fraud and monitor your accounts
- Place a fraud alert - consider placing a fraud alert on your credit with major credit bureaus
- Contact our support team - let us know so we can investigate and help protect other sellers
- File a report - consider reporting to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
How EstateSales.org Protects You
We take the security of our sellers seriously. Here's what we're doing to protect you:
- AI-Powered Screening System: We've implemented advanced AI technology that automatically screens messages for phishing attempts and suspicious content before they reach you
- Domain Filtering: Messages containing known scam domains are automatically blocked
- Account Monitoring: We continuously monitor for suspicious account activity
- Rapid Response: When scams are reported, we immediately remove malicious accounts and notify affected users
Remember: Stay Safe
- Verify before you trust: Always check the URL before entering any information
- EstateSales.org domains only: Legitimate links from us will only go to estatesales.org
- When in doubt, contact support: If something seems suspicious, reach out to our support team directly through the website
- Never share sensitive information: We will never ask for your password or payment details through messages
Still Have Questions?
If you're unsure whether a message is legitimate or if you've encountered a potential scam, please contact our support team immediately. We're here to help keep you safe.
