7 Warning Signs of Drone Scams on eBay in 2026

Extremely Low Prices: If a professional drone setup is listed at a price significantly below market value, it's a major red flag. Scammers often use unrealistically low prices to lure unsuspecting buyers.

New Sellers with No History: Be wary of sellers who have just created their eBay accounts and have zero or very few recent sales, especially for high-value items like drone setups. This often indicates a 'throwaway' account used for fraudulent activities.

Empty Box or 'Photo Only' Listings: Some scams involve shipping an empty box or just photos of the drone instead of the actual product. The scammer relies on the tracking information showing delivery to close the case in their favor.

Fake or Misused Tracking Numbers: Scammers may provide a valid tracking number, but it belongs to a different, unrelated shipment often sent to an address in your vicinity. eBay might consider it 'delivered' even if you never received the drone.

Buyer Overpayment/Refund Scams (Less Common for Buyers): While less frequent for drone buyers, be cautious if a seller claims to have overpaid and requests a partial refund outside of eBay's system. This can be a precursor to other fraudulent activities.

Broken 'As Is' Tech Misrepresentation: Scammers might list a drone as 'broken' or 'for parts' but conceal significant damage or functional issues that were caused by their own misuse, hoping to deceive buyers about the actual condition.

Pressure to Ship to Alternate Addresses: If a seller, after purchase, requests you to ship the drone to an address different from the one on the eBay order, refuse immediately. This is a tactic to bypass eBay's protections.