The MB WAY scam targets sellers on OLX, Vinted and Custojusto. A "buyer" offers to pay you instantly and asks only for your phone number — then uses MB WAY's "Request money" (pedido de dinheiro) instead of "Send", so what lands on your phone looks like an incoming payment but is actually a request for you to pay them. Tap to confirm and the money leaves your account. The one rule that defeats it: to receive money you never have to confirm, approve, or "pagar" anything — a real payment simply arrives. Below is a recreated example of the screen, then a beat-by-beat decode.
If you sell anything online in Portugal, look at the picture below before your next sale. The scam doesn't rely on a sophisticated fake — it relies on a moment of haste and a screen that looks almost exactly like the good news you were expecting.
Why MB WAY became Portugal's signature scam
MB WAY is woven into daily life in Portugal — instant, phone-number-based, trusted. That same frictionlessness is what fraudsters exploit, and the authorities have been explicit about it. The Polícia Judiciária and the Gabinete de Cibercrime (the Public Prosecutor's cybercrime office) have issued public alerts; the Banco de Portugal has warned users of OLX and Vinted specifically; and the courts have started handing down convictions — in one OLX-based operation, Portuguese media reported 24 people convicted over roughly €166,000 in losses. The PJ has said it knows the modus operandi and has inquiries open.
Anatomy of the scam — decoded
The MB WAY "request" scam is a short sequence built on confusion and speed. Naming each move is what makes it visible.
What to do
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Common questions about the MB WAY scam
What is the MB WAY scam in Portugal?
It's a marketplace fraud that targets sellers on sites like OLX and Vinted. A 'buyer' agrees to your price and offers to pay instantly by MB WAY — they just need your phone number. Instead of sending you money, they use MB WAY's 'Request money' (pedido de dinheiro) function, so what arrives on your phone looks like an incoming payment but is actually a request for you to pay them. If you tap to confirm, the amount you thought you were receiving is the amount you send the scammer. The Polícia Judiciária and the Public Prosecutor's cybercrime office have issued warnings about exactly this pattern.
How can a buyer take money from me through MB WAY?
There are a few variants, all built on confusion. The most common is the 'Request, not Send' trick: the scammer sends a money request that you mistake for an incoming payment and confirm, paying them instead. A second variant targets sellers who don't yet have MB WAY: the scammer talks you through registering at an ATM and getting you to associate their phone number to your account, which hands them access. A third uses 'accidental' transfers of €150–200 followed by a request to send it back — which can make your account an unwitting link in a money-laundering chain. In every version, the rule holds: to receive money you never have to confirm, approve, or 'pay' anything.
How do I know if it's a payment or a request?
Read the screen, not the chat. A genuine incoming payment arrives on its own — you do nothing. If MB WAY is asking you to confirm, authorise, or 'Pagar' (pay) an amount, you are sending money, not receiving it. A 'pedido de dinheiro' (money request) is the scammer's tool. When in doubt, cancel, and check your actual account balance: real money that has arrived is simply there, with no action needed from you.
I paid a scammer through MB WAY — what should I do?
Act immediately. Call your bank's fraud line and ask them to attempt to stop or recall the transfer — speed is everything, as MB WAY moves money instantly. Report it to the Polícia Judiciária (a queixa at policiajudiciaria.pt) and, if your bank mishandles a valid claim, escalate to the Banco de Portugal. Keep screenshots of the listing, the chat, and the MB WAY screen. Be wary of anyone who then offers to 'recover' your money for a fee — that is the second scam. Our guide to where to report a scam in Portugal has the full directory.
Sources & further reading
Claims here follow Polícia Judiciária and Public-Prosecutor warnings, a Banco de Portugal alert, and Portuguese press reporting of the convictions.