“Can You Send Me a Pic of What Those Leggings Look Like On?” How Predators Target Women on Vinted

Vinted is a second-hand app where you can sell clothes or items you no longer use, or buy a branded coat for a fraction of the price. But for some users, it’s become a space for sexual fantasies, harassment, and seeking intimate content.

Foreign media and blogs are already pointing out these unexpected practices on Vinted. Life Unexpected describes a phenomenon where some users misuse seemingly standard listings as a “false introduction” to sell used underwear targeted at a fetish community.

These listings often contain subtle signals, like the hashtag #iykyk (short for if you know, you know), or a profile link suggesting it's about worn pieces or personal photos.

When a potential "customer" reaches out, communication usually shifts off Vinted, for example, to Telegram or Snapchat, where the transaction is completed. These practices violate the platform's rules, which state you can only sell clean clothes or new underwear with tags.

The Guardian reports that women on Vinted increasingly receive messages unrelated to sales. Instead of questions about clothing size or condition, men request "better" photos, detailed body shots, trying on clothes without underwear, or direct requests to buy used clothing.

In some cases, the situation has escalated—photos from Vinted have ended up off-platform, on porn sites, forums, or closed Telegram groups, where they were spread without the knowledge and consent of the women who initially posted them for selling clothes.

While Vinted declares zero tolerance for sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior, user testimonies suggest the issue persists and the system doesn’t always catch or stop it in time. Why does this happen on Vinted? Why do some people choose a clothing sales platform instead of explicit erotic sites? Is this happening in Slovakia as well?

We decided to find out what experiences users in our area have had. Women wrote to us about receiving messages requesting “on-the-body” clothing photos, people asking if the underwear is "worn," and those noticing that certain types of ads and photos attract completely different attention than they expected.

So, what to do and how to avoid these situations? The key is not to send more photos and ignore messages from users who give you even a slight bad vibe. Taking photos without your face or personal markers and reporting suspicious accounts can help. Many Slovak women have chosen this route. However, one found herself dangerously close to a situation that could have ended much worse during a personal sale.

Used Diapers

Beware, it's not just harmless ‘creepy’ messages,” warns one respondent, Nikola. “In discussions, people shared experiences where someone asked for diaper photos—ideally shown on children to see how 'they fit on the bum.' There were other dubious and disturbing messages that far exceeded the limits of inappropriate flirting.”

According to Nikola, it is important to talk openly about these cases so people know what to watch out for. “If someone points out risks and suspicious behavior, it doesn't endanger the platform or fair business. On the contrary—it helps protect users,” she says.

Veronika has a similar experience, where an account interested in buying leggings contacted her. “At first, it seemed like normal communication, but very quickly they started pushing for 'on-the-body' photos. The tone was unsettling, almost threatening—saying if I didn't send the photos, they wouldn't buy it,” she describes.

When she confronted him, suggesting he might be after photos and not the clothes, he reacted defensively. “He acted offended as if I wronged him,” she adds.

She says the request for "on-the-body" photos could make sense with some pieces, but in this case, it was specifically aimed at shots of the rear. “Leggings look different on everyone, but it was clear he was after something else. I saw through it. It didn’t harm me, but it was unpleasant and not what Vinted should be used for.”

Although most reports about sexually charged messages or pressure to send photos come from women, men also describe situations they found strange and inappropriate.

One of them, Matej, was contacted by an interested party from the Czech Republic about a year ago. “He wanted me to photograph the jeans, showing how they fit in the crotch and back. Yet, I had all measurements listed in the ad,” he explains. The request seemed odd, but the communication was not explicitly aggressive. “It was weird, but he ended up buying them anyways,” he adds.

Martina has several experiences with Vinted she would now clearly label as problematic. “It started a while ago when I was selling a bodysuit—a regular T-shirt type, not underwear. An account started asking for on-the-body photos, so I sent a very ordinary one. Still, it seemed strange,” she describes.

The situation quickly escalated, according to her. “They asked for a shot from below as I crouched. It wasn't clear that it was a man—the account even had good ratings,” she adds.

She also had a bad experience during a personal item handover, discovering only on-site that the buyer was male. “I told myself maybe he’s buying it for his girlfriend. After the sale, he started messaging me weirdly, wanting to meet for coffee,” says Martina.

She blocked the account, but that didn’t solve the problem. “Since we had arranged the meeting by phone for time and place, he had my number. I got a text asking why I blocked him.”

She has more such experiences: “Recently, I was selling a long satin shirt. I had biker shorts and black tights underneath. Two different men asked if I’d sell the tights,” she explains.

Janka shared another similar experience with us. “Someone once wanted photos of slippers on my feet. At first, it didn’t seem odd—I assumed they wanted to see them worn,” she says. The turning point came when the person wrote they’d also buy her pantyhose along with the shoes.

We reached out to Vinted about the issue:

“We want everyone to feel safe on Vinted. We try to prevent issues by blocking suspicious user sign-ups and using automated tools to detect harmful content. If necessary, we block or remove accounts,” wrote the company’s communication team for Refresher.

According to them, user communication is meant solely for sales, and there’s no need to share personal information. If someone attempts to move the conversation off-app or requests contact details, the system alerts you.

Vinted also advises reporting inappropriate messages and blocking users. “If anyone requests personal photos, private info, or sends inappropriate messages, members should report them via the reporting tools and can block them directly.”

Such cases, according to them, make up a small portion of communication on the platform. “The number of reports is low compared to the size of our global community and doesn’t reflect the experience of most members. But we take every report seriously and continuously improve our systems.”

Foot Fetish?

Lucia says she repeatedly encounters such messages. “I regularly get requests for shoe photos on bare feet—ideally showing toes,” she says.

Katka shares a similar unpleasant experience, having sold black push-up leggings on Vinted. “A guy reached out saying he’d buy them but wanted a photo on the body,” she explains. Being in a later stage of pregnancy, she replied that she couldn’t wear the leggings—especially since it’s a shaping model.

The buyer, however, repeatedly insisted. “He kept writing that he’d like a photo, mostly from behind to see the rear. I explained four times that I wouldn’t provide a photo.” He still ended up buying the leggings anyway.

Natália states she faces similar messages frequently. “It happens often. Sometimes, I get messages referring to my figure or asking if I’ll ‘include myself’ with an item,” she describes.

“The situation of someone wanting to buy used menstrual aids from me happened about two years ago,” she explains.

The communication began discreetly. “Initially, they expressed interest in used socks but then insisted on moving to Instagram. Probably to prevent being blocked directly on Vinted,” she says. It was only off-platform when the requests escalated. “Outside the platform, they began asking about tampons.”

Natália only has screenshots from more recent cases, still happening today. “Mainly messages asking for Instagram or requesting foot photos. Often, they write through fake female profiles, masking their requests with nonsensical or seemingly innocent demands,” she adds.

Menstrual Panties

Zuzka was selling menstrual panties. “I don’t have the original conversation saved, but I sent some messages to a friend just for fun back then,” she says. To this day, she doesn’t know if she was messaging with a man or a woman. “It was just strange communication.”

Initially, she tried being polite and accommodating. “I’m selling an item, I want to sell it, so I was communicative,” she explains. But gradually, the conversation veered away from the actual sale. “The discussion shifted to topics about menstruation, personal experiences, and body functions. It was no longer about the panties.” She thinks it might have been just someone venting.