Reply from Sofalistic

Jun 7, 2026

It is important to clarify that there is no evidence that scammers obtained customer email addresses from Sofalistic, nor is there any evidence that Sofalistic's systems were hacked.

The scam attempts referenced in other reviews involved third-party users sending messages through the marketplace messaging system, which is a feature available on virtually every marketplace platform. The scammers' objective was to persuade users to leave the security of the platform and visit fraudulent external websites under their control.

The fact that a scammer is able to send a message through a marketplace messaging system does not mean that they have gained access to customer data, email databases, payment information, or internal systems. Nor does it mean that the platform itself has been compromised.

In the cases referred to by other reviewers, users received a standard Sofalistic notification email advising them that they had received a new message. The notification email itself was genuine and sent by Sofalistic. The scam content was contained within the message sent by the third-party user, in the same way that a scam message can be received through other marketplaces - which happens on a daily basis.

As soon as these conversations were identified, the accounts involved were permanently removed and additional protections were deployed. Our team had already identified the method being used, implemented a fix, and continues to actively monitor the platform for similar activity.

At multiple stages throughout the platform, users are warned:

• Never enter card or bank details via links sent in messages.
• Never follow instructions to leave the platform.
• Never share personal or payment information with another user.
• Report suspicious messages immediately.

Marketplace operators unfortunately face the same challenge as every online platform: bad actors continually attempt to misuse communication tools. The presence of a scammer attempting to abuse a messaging system is not evidence that a platform has been hacked.

Reply from Sofalistic

Jun 7, 2026

We're sorry to hear that you encountered a scam attempt and appreciate you taking steps to protect your account once you became suspicious.

However, it's important to clarify that this was not Sofalistic asking you to enter card details, verify your account, or provide information relating to your card balance.

The messages you received were sent by a third-party scammer through the marketplace messaging system. Their objective was to persuade you to leave the security of our platform and enter payment information on an external website under their control. The request to verify card details and provide card balance information is a common scam tactic and is not part of any Sofalistic payment or verification process.

At multiple stages throughout our platform, users are warned:

• Never enter card or bank details via links sent in messages.
• Never follow instructions to leave the platform.
• Never share personal or payment information with another user.
• Report suspicious messages immediately.

You mention that the website looked genuine and that the notification email came from the same address used for Sofalistic account communications. Unfortunately, scammers often use legitimate marketplace messaging systems to initiate contact before attempting to move users away from the platform.

The fact that a message appears within a Sofalistic inbox does not automatically make it genuine. In this case, the sender instructed users to leave the platform and manually reconstruct an external website address by replacing "(DOT)" with "." before entering it into a browser. This is a well-known tactic used by scammers to bypass platform security systems and is not something Sofalistic would ever ask a user to do.

The verification process you describe — including requests for card details and card balance information — is not part of Sofalistic's payment or verification procedures and never has been. At the time of listing an item, sellers are informed that Sofalistic will never ask them to verify an account using card details or make payments in order to receive sale proceeds.

As soon as these conversations are identified, the accounts involved are permanently removed from the platform and additional protections are deployed to prevent similar attempts. In this case, our team had already identified the method being used, deployed a fix, and is actively monitoring the platform for similar activity.

We would encourage all users to continue following the platform safety and security guidance that is presented throughout our messaging system and accepted when using the platform. These measures exist specifically to protect buyers and sellers from the constantly evolving tactics used by scammers.

Whilst we understand your disappointment, describing Sofalistic itself as responsible for this scam attempt is simply incorrect. This was a third-party scammer attempting to persuade you to leave the platform and ignore the safety warnings provided.

Reply from Sofalistic

Jun 7, 2026

Hi Ben,

We're sorry to hear that you encountered a scam attempt and that you have had to deal with the inconvenience of trying to recover funds.

However, it's important to clarify that this was not Sofalistic asking you to make a payment, verify your account, or complete a test transaction.

The messages you received were sent by a third-party scammer through the marketplace messaging system. Their objective was to persuade you to leave the security of our platform and enter payment information on an external website under their control. The request to make a "test transaction" is a common scam tactic and is not part of any Sofalistic payment or verification process.

At multiple stages throughout our platform, users are warned:

• Never enter card or bank details via links sent in messages.
• Never follow instructions to leave the platform.
• Never share personal or payment information with another user.
• Report suspicious messages immediately.

You mention seeing the same message within your Sofalistic inbox. Unfortunately, scammers will often use legitimate marketplace messaging systems to initiate contact before attempting to direct users elsewhere. The fact that a message appears in an inbox does not automatically make it genuine, which is why our safety guidance is displayed throughout the platform and accepted when using our messaging system.

To address another point in your review, Sofalistic has not been hacked. Rather, the scammer used the messaging system to attempt to move the conversation away from the platform and onto a fraudulent external website.

The URL itself should also have been a significant warning sign. Rather than being directed to a normal Sofalistic page, the messages instructed you to manually reconstruct a web address by removing brackets, replacing dots, and entering the address yourself into your browser. This is a well-known scam tactic used to bypass platform security systems and is not something any legitimate business would ask a customer to do.

The verification process you describe — including requests to make test payments before receiving funds — is not part of Sofalistic's payment or verification procedures and never has been. At the time of listing an item, sellers are informed that Sofalistic will never ask them to verify an account using card details or make payments in order to receive sale proceeds.

As soon as these conversations are identified, the accounts involved are permanently removed from the platform and additional protections are deployed to prevent similar attempts. In this case, our team had already identified the method being used, deployed a fix, and is actively monitoring the platform for similar activity.

We would encourage all users to continue following the platform safety and security guidance that is presented throughout our messaging system. These measures exist specifically to protect buyers and sellers from the constantly evolving tactics used by scammers.

Whilst we completely understand your frustration, describing Sofalistic itself as a scam is simply incorrect. This was a third-party scammer attempting to persuade you to leave the platform and ignore the safety warnings provided.

Marc
Co-Founder

Reply from Sofalistic

Jun 7, 2026

We're sorry you encountered a scam attempt, however it's important to clarify that this was not Sofalistic asking you to verify anything.

The scammer's messages specifically instructed you to leave our platform and manually enter a web address into your browser by removing characters and altering the URL. This is a well-known scam technique designed to bypass platform security systems.

At multiple stages throughout our platform, users are warned:

• Never enter card details via links sent in messages.
• Never follow instructions to leave the platform.
• Never share personal or payment information with another user.
• Report suspicious messages immediately.

The fact that a message appears in your Sofalistic messaging inbox does not automatically make it genuine. Unfortunately, scammers constantly try new methods to bypass security filters, and while we continuously update our protections, users must also follow the safety guidance clearly displayed throughout the platform.

The verification process you describe — including requests relating to card balances — is not part of Sofalistic's payment, or verification procedures and never has been. At the time of listing your item you are informed that we will never ask you to verify your account - and we never ask sellers to verify with a card or bank details.

As soon as these conversations are identified, the accounts involved are permanently removed from the platform and additional protections are deployed to prevent similar attempts. In this case, our team had already identified the method being used, deployed a fix, and is actively monitoring the platform for similar activity.

We would encourage all users to continue following the platform safety and security guidance that is presented throughout our messaging system and accepted when using the platform. These measures exist specifically to protect buyers and sellers from the constantly evolving tactics used by scammers.

We're pleased you stopped before providing sensitive information, but describing Sofalistic itself as a scam is simply incorrect. This was a third-party scammer attempting to persuade you to leave our platform and ignore the safety warnings provided.