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Avoid Facebook Marketplace Scams – Buyer Beware – Many of the offers that appear on this site are from advertisers from whom this site receives compensation for being listed here. This compensation may affect how and where products are displayed on this site (including, for example, the order in which they are displayed). These offers do not represent all deposits, investments, loans or credit products available.
If you’re looking to sell some of your stuff or get a great deal on someone else’s, Facebook Marketplace offers an easy way to connect with buyers and sellers, and in some cases, scammers in your community. Here’s a guide to some of the most common Facebook Marketplace scams — and how you can protect yourself as a buyer and seller.
Avoid Facebook Marketplace Scams – Buyer Beware
Spotting Facebook Marketplace Scams How do you know if someone is scamming you on Facebook Marketplace? If you see any of the following red flags, you may be dealing with a scammer: The buyer or seller has a brand new Facebook profile or no profile picture. The price is very good for such an expensive item. A customer who wants to pay with a gift card or send you a pre-paid shipping label. A customer who “accidentally” overpays for an item or wants to pay early. A seller or buyer who requests personal information from you, such as a phone number or email address, or wants to communicate with you outside of Facebook.
Common Facebook Marketplace Scams To Beware Of
Scammers have come up with many ways to scam Facebook Marketplace users, and each scam works differently. Generally, buyer fraud occurs when someone tries to buy or exchange a product without paying. In seller fraud, someone offers something for sale but does not deliver the item as promised.
Fraudulent sellers try to do everything from selling fake and broken items to posting fake rental properties. Be aware of these scams before you buy from Facebook Marketplace.
Have you seen a list of the latest popular Nike shoes, like at a fraction of the retail price? The shoes are probably fake.
Ask to see more photos of the shoes, a live video, or even the original receipt before you agree to buy. Pay via PayPal or any other method that offers protection against counterfeiting.
Top Facebook Marketplace Scams To Watch Out For In 2022
The advertised house may be exactly what you’re looking for, but don’t send a deposit until you or someone you trust has seen the place and made sure it’s as advertised. It’s in – and available.
That gaming system you just paid $200 for? It doesn’t work, even if the listing says it was lightly used. You handed the salesperson $200 at a meeting in the parking lot of the local McDonald’s without ever leaving. You will never find this seller on Facebook again.
It is best to turn on and test any electronic devices or other items that may not be working before handing over payment.
Advertising an item and then trying to exchange it is classic bait and switch. You are looking and looking for the item you were looking for, and then the seller tells you that it is out of stock and offers another, more expensive item instead.
I Got Scammed On Facebook—here’s What I Learned
If you see an offer for something free or pay for a free product, skip it. This is probably impersonation. Click the link to enter the drawing and it may download malware or a virus to access your confidential information.
Market buyers are not the only ones who fall for scams. There are several ways you can be a victim of buyer fraud on Facebook Marketplace. A fraudulent buyer can trick you with a prepaid shipping label, verification code, or overpayment.
Here’s a closer look at how these scams work and how to avoid fake buyers when selling on Facebook Marketplace.
Be wary of any buyer who asks if they can provide prepaid shipping labels. The label will be valid, however, when the item is shipped, the buyer may request delivery to an address other than the original shipping label. They will then claim that they never received the package.
How Many People Use Facebook Marketplace In 2023?
Some buyers get around the prepaid sticker scam by simply trying to claim they never received the items they bought, and then claim a refund from the honest person in the transaction—you—according to Facebook’s Purchase Protection Policy.
Make sure you never use the buyer’s label for a prepaid shipment and obtain tracking information for all shipments in question to avoid these scams.
The buyer would like you to send him a message to arrange for immediate collection of the item. This is an attempt to get your phone number, where the scammer can immediately sign up for a Google Voice number that will send a verification code to your phone. The scammer will ask you to send a code – just to verify that you are the real person.
In fact, this code will unlock your Google Voice number, which can help the fraudster commit even more fraud, including stealing your identity.
Facebook Marketplace Scams And How To Avoid Them
Let’s say a buyer and seller agree on a sale price of $20, but the buyer owes $50, tells the seller it was a mistake, and wants a refund of $30. This is not a problem until the bank contacts you. It’s possible that the card the seller used to pay you was stolen or the check was forged. You’ve spent your original payment – plus the “overpayment” you’ve returned.
With all this in mind, you should be able to successfully buy and sell through the platform without worry.
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By clicking the “Subscribe” button, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You can click the “Unsubscribe” link in the email at any time. Chris Furtick, Vice President of Client Solutions at Fortalis Solutions, recently provided research and expertise for the following article by Brooke Nelson published in Reader’s Digest on November 4, 2022.
I Lost $300 To A Facebook Marketplace Scam, What I Wish I Knew
Buyer beware: Fraudsters have opened a store on Facebook. Here’s how to avoid falling victim to some common Facebook Marketplace scams.
More than a billion users buy and sell goods on Facebook Marketplace every month — but they’re not the only ones making money. Facebook Marketplace scams are on the rise: 9 out of 10 victims of online shopping scams say they were defrauded by Facebook or Instagram in 2021, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s latest report.
“Unlike eBay or Amazon, buyers on Facebook Marketplace have much more direct interaction and negotiation with sellers,” says Paul Bischoff, privacy attorney at cybersecurity firm Comparitech. “This creates opportunities for fraudsters to lure victims into more fraud with little oversight.”
These scams may seem credible, but they also have some caveats that make them easier to spot. Below, experts discuss the most common Facebook Marketplace scams and how to avoid them so you can protect your money from criminals while shopping.
Facebook Marketplace Scams: Legitimate Sellers Unsuspecting Sellers Out Of Thousands
How this scam works: When you express interest in an item for sale, the seller may ask you to contact them or pay them through another platform. “Fraudsters often want to get your money in a way that can’t be recovered,” says Bischoff, such as paying by wire transfer through Venmo. “In addition to external payment methods, they can convince victims to call or chat outside of Facebook, where their correspondence cannot be monitored.”
How to spot it: Be wary of buyers and sellers who insist on communicating or receiving payment outside of official Facebook channels. Facebook’s shopping protection policies only cover payments through Facebook Checkout, so there’s no guarantee that you’ll get a refund if you pay by any other method. If you choose to pay with another app, beware of these Venmo and CashApp scams.
How this scam works: In this scam, the scammers ask you to pay them first and then never ship the item. Consumer privacy expert Chris Hook says that by agreeing to prepay for items, “customers run the risk of not receiving the items they paid for, either through non-delivery or because they didn’t receive the items they paid for.” Anything other than that needs to be split.” Pixel Privacy A scammer can share fake shipping information or screenshots to make it look like the item has been shipped, when in fact they’ve already stolen your money.
How to identify it: best to do it yourself
