5 Things to Look Out for to Avoid Buying a Stolen Laptop
Key Takeaways
- Online purchase scams are now the single largest category of scam reported to the BBB — know the warning signs before you buy a used laptop.
- A handful of quick checks — the laptop's physical condition, included accessories, whether it boots and resets cleanly, how the seller behaves, and how the sale itself happens — catch most stolen laptops before you pay for one.
- Buying a stolen laptop, even unknowingly, can mean losing the laptop, losing the money you paid for it, and possibly becoming part of a police investigation.
- Buying refurbished direct from a manufacturer, a major retailer, or a local shop you trust remains the safest way to get a good deal on a used machine.
Exercising caution
Buying a second-hand laptop can be a great way to save money, but it's important to exercise some caution when deciding what to buy. Aside from the obvious advice to avoid buying a laptop from someone selling it out of the trunk of their car in a parking lot, how do you buy a used laptop safely? What should you look for in a good laptop, and what are the warning signs that a deal might be a little too good to be true?
This isn't a small concern. Online purchase scams were the single largest category of scam reported to the Better Business Bureau in 2025, making up 28.4% of all reports, and 89.3% of people who ran into one lost money (BBB, 2025 Scam Tracker® Risk Report, PDF). At the same time, the secondhand electronics market itself keeps growing — it was valued at roughly $139.5 billion in 2025 (Global Market Insights, 2025), which means more deals, but also more opportunities for a stolen device to end up for sale.
The best way to buy a used laptop
One of the best ways to find a good, “new-to-you” laptop is to look for refurbished models direct from the manufacturer, on Amazon, or from a big box store. These are machines that have come back to the company, been checked out, cleaned up, and refreshed, and they often come with a warranty too. Big box electronics stores will often have open box, floor models, or returns at great prices. These are machines that are essentially new, but you're getting a good deal.
If you can't find something refurbished you like from the manufacturer or a well-known retailer, go to a local computer store that you know and trust and see if they sell secondhand machines. Local stores often take trade-ins and refresh them like a refurbished machine. A used machine might not come with the same warranty as a refurbished one from a manufacturer, but a local company might also be more willing to help you if something goes wrong.
If you're unable to find a good deal on a secondhand machine from a retailer and you're considering an individual seller, know that there are deals to be had this way, but you must be careful. Purchasing a stolen laptop could mean trouble you don't need.
What to look for when negotiating with a private seller
If you do decide to buy from an individual seller rather than a retailer, here's what separates a safe deal from a risky one.
1. How does the laptop look?
The first thing to look at is the machine's appearance. Does it look beat up? Are there scratches on the case that look like someone pried something off the laptop? You know what a used laptop looks like — a little wear and tear is perfectly normal. What you're looking for is strange damage the seller can't explain. If there was a security cable attached and pried (or cut) off, there's going to be damage that just doesn't look quite right. That's a good sign you should back away from the sale.
One other thing to look for is whether the case is bulging anywhere. A bulging case is a sign the battery isn't in good shape. If the seller acknowledges this, you'll need to replace the battery, so you know what you're getting into. A bulging battery is a fire hazard and can cause the trackpad and keyboard to malfunction. Unless you know what you're doing and are willing to spend the extra money to replace the battery, it may be best to avoid this one.
2. Does it have the necessary equipment?
If someone stole a laptop quickly, chances are they might not have grabbed the power adapter too. If the seller doesn't have the power cord and can't explain why, that's a big red flag. People selling laptops will often throw in an extra mouse or a travel bag, which can be a good or a bad sign. If the bag was stolen from someone's car, of course they'll have all the accessories to sell too. Probe a little on why they have these extras to include, and check the bag for identification or other signs it might not have been theirs to begin with.
Don't worry too much about the seller not having the original box or install disks (not many machines ship with install disks anymore). If the laptop is more than a few years old, chances are the box is long gone and recycled. What you're looking for is whether the machine comes with everything you'd expect someone who has owned it for a while would have.
3. Does it work?
Some of us have no problem buying a dead laptop that we figure we can salvage into something workable. But there's a difference between buying a dead laptop that comes up with the blue screen of death or doesn't boot into the OS correctly, and buying a laptop the seller won't let you turn on before you buy it. Before you buy a used laptop from someone, turn it on and make sure everything has been reset to factory settings. There shouldn't be personal files sitting on the desktop, and you shouldn't see apps like MS Office or Photoshop already installed on the machine.
Even used, you should be getting a machine that is software new. Check to see if Wi-Fi works, the speakers work, and the trackpad functions correctly without looking warped. Open a text editor on the machine and type a bit — do all the keys work, and does the keyboard feel wonky? If the seller won't let you try these core functions, it's not worth the risk.
4. What's the seller like?
Does the seller seem nervous? Will they only meet you in a parking lot somewhere? Will they take an e-transfer, or only cash? Can you get a receipt with their name and contact information that matches their ID? Can the seller tell you about the laptop, or at least let you turn it on and check its specs?
If the seller is offering a sweetheart deal on a clearly expensive laptop, it should give you pause. Even someone who wants to sell something quickly still wants a decent price for the machine. Cutting a deal for a kid who needs a laptop for school is one thing; selling a $3,000 laptop for $500 is suspicious.
If you found the laptop on Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, or Craigslist, check the seller's rating and whether they seem to be selling a lot of things, like several bicycles, a bunch of laptops, and a few phones. This is your chance to exercise some caution. If something doesn't feel right, trust that feeling and walk away. There will always be other laptops to buy.
5. Be wary of online-only sales
Buying things online feels like second nature now, and buying a new machine from a manufacturer or reputable online store isn't a problem. What gets a little iffy is buying a used machine online. It's a lot harder to confirm you're getting the machine you saw in the pictures, even if someone did a video chat with you. You can't really check it for the signs above, and you have no recourse if you don't get what you paid for.
Be extremely cautious if you're buying a laptop sight unseen. There are far safer options available.
Consequences of buying a stolen laptop
Because a lot of laptops, including those protected by Absolute, have tracking software built into the firmware, if the laptop is stolen, someone may well come looking for it. The last thing you want is the police knocking on your door to get back a stolen laptop, which leaves you with no laptop, lost money, and possibly under investigation for possession of stolen property.
Explaining to the police how you bought the laptop won't be a fun experience. You'll have to answer a lot of questions about who you bought it from, when, and why you didn't notice any of the tell-tale signs that the sale might not have been on the up and up. Go through reputable dealers, or buy refurbished laptops directly from manufacturers.
Once you've bought a safe used laptop, keep it that way
Finding a laptop that isn't stolen is only the first step. Once it's yours, the easiest way to keep it safe, and keep whatever you put on it safe, is making sure it's actually running current, patched software, especially since you don't know its full history before you bought it.
Recover Stolen Laptops with Absolute Security
Protecting laptops and personal electronics from theft is a critical concern, especially when they contain sensitive data. By taking precautions during the purchase of secondhand devices and staying alert to the red flags above, you can avoid falling victim to fraud, or unknowingly becoming part of the resale chain for stolen property.
It's also worth following proper security measures to keep your own devices safe once you've made a purchase. Strategies to guard against laptop theft can help protect your data and devices from unwanted access, loss, or theft, safeguarding your personal and corporate information. By maintaining visibility over your devices and using reliable security practices, you help prevent your information from falling into the wrong hands. This proactive approach is key to reducing the likelihood of a data breach and minimizing the risks tied to a stolen or missing device.
Our how-to guide on tracking and recovering laptops pulls together tips and solutions for healthcare, schools, remote workers, and businesses of all sizes. Learn how to keep your laptop, and other devices, safe, secure, and protected with common sense tips and help from Absolute.
Want to see how Absolute helps protect laptops and the data on them? Request a demo to see our solutions in action, or explore our resource library for more.
