João Lopes, founder of Olux; Credit: Olux

On Tuesday 27 October 2026, Luxembourg-based classifieds marketplace Olux announced that it had blocked 68 scam accounts and issued 60 warnings directly in users' chats during its first six months of operation.

Launched in April 2026, the platform aims to prevent fraud by monitoring conversations between buyers and sellers, rather than only screening listings. Olux is free for private users and available to people living in Luxembourg or the Greater Region, as well as those working in Luxembourg.

According to a recent parliamentary response from Luxembourg's Ministry of Home Affairs and Justice, reported phishing cases in Luxembourg rose from 247 in 2024 to 367 in 2025, while estimated losses since August 2023 have reached around €10 million.

Olux noted that scams on classifieds websites and social media groups target both buyers and sellers. Buyers may encounter fake listings, non-existent items and requests for advance payments, while sellers may face fake buyers, fraudulent payment confirmations and phishing links.

In one recent case on Olux, a fake buyer offered to pay a seller in advance using Wero as a pretext to obtain the seller's phone number and target them with phishing. Olux subsequently blocked the account.

The platform restricts the publication of listings to people based in Luxembourg and the Greater Region and automatically screens new listings before publication. It also checks chat messages for known scam and phishing patterns, warning users directly when suspicious activity is detected. Confirmed scammers are blocked, while flagged conversations may be referred to an Olux team member for review under the platform's terms and conditions.

"Almost everyone here knows someone who has been targeted, either by a fake listing or by a fake buyer asking for their bank details," said João Lopes, founder of Olux. "We didn’t want to build another place where you have to be suspicious of every message. So we watch for scams in the chat itself, and we step in before anyone loses money," he added.