8 Facebook Marketplace Scams To Watch Out For

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Maybe you have an old set of comics you don’t need anymore, or that bike-riding habit never really took off and now you’re stuck with a mountain bike collecting dust in your garage. Perhaps you need to find a planter, like now. Or you’re on the hunt for a cheap TV. If you’re one of the many people who turn to Facebook Marketplace to sell old items, shop for specific things or just browse for the goodies, you probably know exactly what to do.

However, just as Facebook Marketplace provides an easy way to connect with buyers and sellers in your community, it can also link you with scammers. Unfortunately, these scammers are prevalent enough that buyers and sellers alike should take some precautions. GOBankingRates investigated some of the more common approaches fraudsters take, as well as individual scams, so you can keep enjoying your time in the virtual marketplace.

Buyer Beware: Common Scams To Watch Out for as a Shopper

Fraudulent sellers attempt everything from selling counterfeit and broken goods to posting fake rental properties. Before making a Facebook Marketplace purchase, familiarize yourself with these scams.

A Deal Too Good To Be True

Did you see a listing for the latest popular Nike shoes, for example, at a fraction of the retail price? The shoes probably are counterfeit.

Ask to see multiple photos of the shoes, a live video, or even an original sales receipt before agreeing to buy. Pay with PayPal or another method that provides protection in case your new kicks are counterfeit.

A Fake Rental Property

The house advertised might be just what you’re looking for, down to the open patio space. But don’t send a deposit until you, or someone you trust, has had a chance to tour the place to make sure it is as advertised — and it’s available.

Shocking as it is to believe, some scammers will advertise properties that aren’t even for rent, take a payment and vanish.

A Broken Item

That gaming system you just paid $200 for? It doesn’t work, even though the listing might have said it was barely used. You handed over that $200 to the seller at your meeting place in the parking lot of the local McDonald’s without plugging it in. And you’ll never find that seller on Facebook again.

It’s best to turn on and test electronics or other items that might not work before you hand over payment.

Bait and Switch

Advertising one item, then seeking to substitute it is the classic bait and switch. You see an item you’ve been searching and searching for, then the seller tells you it isn’t available and offers another, more expensive item in its place.

Don’t be afraid to walk away from a deal if it’s not what you originally wanted.

Giveaways

If you see an offer for something free or a drawing for a free item, skip it. It likely is a phishing scheme. You hit a link to enter the drawing, and malware or a virus could be downloaded to access your confidential information.

Seller Beware: Common Scams To Watch Out for as a Seller

Buyers aren’t the only the ones who have to beware when it comes to transactions over Facebook Marketplace. Unfortunately, sellers are just as likely to fall victim to a fraudster. A fraudulent buyer may trick you with a prepaid shipping label, a verification code or an overpayment.

Prepaid Shipping Labels and Lost Packages

Beware of any buyer who asks if they can supply you with a prepaid shipping label. The label will be legitimate, but once you ship the item, the buyer can request to have the item delivered to a different address than the one on the original shipping label. Then, they will claim that the package was never received.

Some buyers skip the prepaid label scam and simply try to claim their bought items were never received and then seek a refund from the honest person in the transaction — you — per Facebook’s Purchase Protection Policy.

Make sure you never use a prepaid shipping label from a buyer and have tracking information for any shipments involved to help fend off these scams.

Phone Number Requests

A “buyer” wants you to send a text to arrange an immediate pickup of the item. That’s an attempt to get your phone number, at which point the scammer could register quickly for a Google voice number, which will trigger a verification code sent to your phone. The scammer will ask you to send the code — just to verify you are a real person.

In reality, that code will unlock the Google voice number, which can help the scammer to perpetuate more scams, including stealing your identity.

Don’t communicate with buyers outside of the Marketplace.

Overpayment

Say the buyer and seller agree on a $20 sales price, but the buyer pays $50, tells the seller it was an error and asks for $30 back. That isn’t a problem until the bank catches up with you. The card that the seller used to pay you could have been stolen or a check was counterfeit. You’re out the original payment — plus the “overpayment” you returned.

It’s best to decline overpayments and ask the buyer to resend payment in the correct amount.

Andrea Norris and Laura Bogart contributed to the reporting for this article.

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.

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