Inspect items before purchasing by buying only from local sellers.Here are 10 tips to help you navigate Facebook Marketplace safely: How to spot a Facebook Marketplace scamĪs with any kind of online fraud, the key for internet users is to remain sceptical and alert. When you want to grab the “bargain”, that product is “gone” and you will be offered a similar item for a much steeper price or an inferior alternative. Scammers advertise what is often a high-quality product with a very tempting price tag. They may send a link to a scam website which asks you to enter payment details. It may be a relatively small amount compared to the item for sale, which may persuade the seller to go along with it.Ī new scam has recently been reported where a 'buyer' contacts you and asks you to pay delivery insurance for the item, saying they will refund you. There’s just one catch, they need the seller to pay a small insurance charge. The latter agree to pay for shipping and send over a fake invoice to ‘prove’ that they have. Sellers with expensive items posted to Facebook Marketplace may also be contacted by fraudulent buyers. RELATED READING: 5 warning signs your identity has been stolen 7. Of course, the scammers just want their personal information to commit follow-on identity fraud or theft. Simply by clicking on a link and filling in a bit of personal information, the victim believes they’re going to be in line for some free luxury items, crypto, or other special deals. One way to get that additional information is to spam out giveaway offers via Facebook Marketplace. Takes your money then changes his name from Josh to Michael… that's a new one on me If anyone see these listings on Facebook Marketplace, do NOT engage with this seller. This obviously only applies to items sent from outside the buyer’s local area. Non-delivery (advance fee)Ī classic trick is to sell an item and collect the money but then never deliver it to the buyer. But of course, there was no original payment, and now you’re down the refund amount. They’ll ask for the difference to be refunded. In one classic example, they will claim to have overpaid for an item you’re selling, and post a screenshot apparently showing the transaction. Sellers can also get scammed by fraudsters on Facebook Marketplace. Is she trying to log into *my* Google voice number? /ik95KvqyeX What is this scam? I’m selling something on Facebook marketplace, and then this lady wants me to share a Google voice SMS validation. With more information still they could attempt to open other accounts in your name or access existing ones. Now they are able to create an account using the seller’s phone number, which can be used in other scams. In reality, the code sent to the seller’s phone is a two-factor authentication code sent by Google Voice and initiated by the fraudster. But then after taking the conversation onto a non-monitored platform like WhatsApp, they ask the seller to authenticate themselves with a verification code. In one example, the scammer agrees to buy an item. Google Voice scamsįacebook Marketplace is also used to leverage other types of fraud, potentially on other platforms. But when offers seem too good to be true, they usually are. Like defective item scams, it’s difficult to ascertain whether they’re genuine or not just from a small photo. Designer clothes, perfume, jewelry and cosmetics are particularly common targets for counterfeiting. If it’s not broken, then it may be a fake product. This is as likely to happen due to an unscrupulous seller as a professional fraudster. It’s particularly tricky when buying electronic items, because you usually can’t toggle through every bit of functionality before handing over the money. But once it has been delivered, or you get it home, it turns out to be broken. Sellers may advertise a product that looks fine from the photograph they posted. Here are the top eight scams to watch out for on Facebook Marketplace and how to spot the red flags: 1. That puts an even greater pressure on users to understand the typical tricks that online con artists use, and what they can do to stay safe. With fake listings extending to apartment sales and car purchases, the stakes are pretty high. It’s little wonder then that the social network is having a hard time stopping the fraudsters, sometimes over-zealously blocking legitimate users while inadvertently allowing scams to slip through a combination of automated checks and human reviewers. RELATED READING: 10 reasons why we fall for scams
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