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Facebook Marketplace helps connect locals looking to purchase a good or service with those who are looking to sell the same item for a safe exchange—when it’s working as intended. Unfortunately, there are several common Facebook Marketplace scams that catch innocent buyers or sellers off guard, resulting in them losing money, their private information, or both.
While these Facebook scammers might use clever methods to try to get their hands on your items or hard-earned cash, the vast majority of them employ the same criminal tactics and age-old cons as one another. Look out for these red flags when conducting business on Facebook Marketplace to keep your finances, belongings, and sensitive data safe.
Facebook Marketplace Payment Scams
There are many types of Facebook Marketplace payment scams out there, but these hoaxes share one crucial thing in common when successful: Scammers find a way to get you to send them money that isn’t rightfully theirs.
1. Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle Scams
There are a few different Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle scams to be on the lookout for when using Facebook Marketplace. One Facebook Marketplace Venmo scam involves a “buyer” asking for verification that your Venmo account information is accurate, usually insisting it needs to be done over email. Once they email you, they might try to convince you that your Venmo account needs to be upgraded in order to accept payments and con you into paying money through a link they provide.
Another potential payment app scam warning sign is when buyers send a fake email or screenshot confirming that they have already paid for an item, when in reality they haven’t paid a dime. Never take a buyer’s word at face value, and always check your account to verify that the payment has come through.
With payment scams being so prevalent, it’s reasonable to wonder if apps like Venmo are safe for Facebook Marketplace transactions at all. Thankfully, though, they generally are when used with caution. So long as you never take Facebook Marketplace conversations off of the Facebook platform, refrain from clicking suspicious links, and remember that buyers or sellers never need your email, Venmo and other payment apps are safe to use when buying and selling on Facebook Marketplace.
2. Gift Card Scams
Cunning scammers on Facebook Marketplace know that payments made through payment apps are traceable. To get around this, some look for untraceable ways to be paid. The most typical of these scams involves a seller asking for you to pay for an item with a prepaid digital gift card as payment for an item. After sending the digital gift card, the scammer will end communications with you, failing to deliver on the item you thought you were purchasing and making off with the gift card funds.
3. Overpayment Scams
Overpayment scams are an effective buyer scam to look out for on Facebook Marketplace and any other selling apps you may use. This con most commonly involves the buyer paying for an item with a check. However, instead of sending a check for the price of the item, they will write a check for more than the actual price you asked for or agreed upon.
Seth Persily, managing attorney at Persily & Associates PC and founder of Elite Litigators, explains what usually happens next. “They then ask you to send the overpayment back via wire transfer or another method,” he says. “The check they gave you will eventually bounce, and you’ll be stuck not only without the item you sold but also liable for the money you ‘refunded.'”
4. Wire Transfer Fraud
Other Facebook scams center around wire transfers, as well. One of these involves a scammer who says that they are in another country and need to pay for an item via wire transfer. They will then send you a fraudulent confirmation screenshot or email supposedly that the wire transfer has gone through, at which point a scammed seller will send them the item—even though in reality a payment was never initiated. In some versions of this crime, they may also use any info shared to facilitate the fake wire transfer as a way to gain access to your bank account number.
Another Facebook Marketplace wire transfer scam might see a “buyer” who is out of the country and wants to purchase one of your items, but will “only” be able to do so by sending you a wire transfer. However, they may claim that they only have enough money for the product and ask for you to cover the associated wire transfer fee. Of course, they will never actually wire you the money, leaving you out the cost of the stolen item and fake wire transfer fee.
Facebook Marketplace Product Scams
While you may pride yourself in your honesty when selling stuff on Facebook Marketplace, not everyone else has the same good intentions. Don’t let yourself get tricked by some of these common product scams that you might run into on the platform.
5. Broken, Fake, or Stolen Products
Scammers can try to get money from you by advertising electronics or products that are actually stolen, broken, or counterfeit—or completely nonexistent—on Facebook Marketplace. These items are often listed for a much lower price than you’d expect, enticing people to jump on a good deal and purchase them quickly. Persily explains, “Once you pay and receive the item, you find out it doesn’t work or is a counterfeit. Red flags include prices that are ‘too good to be true’ and sellers unwilling to meet in person or demonstrate that the electronics function properly.”
Whether you’re buying secondhand furniture, electronics, or other goods, it is always a good idea to meet in person in a public place and inspect the item you want before paying for it.
One of the single most common Facebook Marketplace scams works in a similar fashion, with scammer sellers listing an item at a too-good-to-be-true price and promising to ship it to you. However, the item may have never been in their possession in the first place, at which point they keep your cash and move onto their next mark.
6. Shipping Scams
Shipping scams are also common on Facebook Marketplace and other platforms, and they can target both buyers and sellers. Much like the above nonexistent items, sellers will request payment from a buyer but will fail to ever ship the goods that were paid for.
You aren’t safe from shipping scams when selling stuff online either, as buyers can pull them off too. Instead of you shipping the item through your preferred shipping method or carrier, they may offer to send you a prepaid shipping label. Once shipped, though, you won’t be able to track the item, and the buyer may file a dispute claiming that what they paid for never arrived. Other times, a buyer may send you a fraudulent confirmation email or screenshot that they’ve already sent you the payment needed for you to ship the item. In reality, however, no such payment was ever made.
7. Car Sale Scams
Don’t get scammed on Facebook Marketplace when trying to buy or sell a car. Scammers may try to make more money than a car is worth by faking a vehicle report or VIN check, or coming up with reasons why you can’t test drive a car before paying for it. Others may request that you send them a “down payment” to hold the vehicle to keep it out of the hands of other (probably made-up) prospective buyers. But when you arrive at the agreed-upon location to complete the purchase, they’ll be nowhere in sight.
If you’re trying to sell your car on Facebook Marketplace, you could also get conned. Fake buyers might try to steal your digital information by sending links related to the purchase that, when clicked, could compromise your security or personal information.
8. Property Rental Scams
Regrettably, some scams on Facebook Marketplace also target people looking to rent a home or apartment. According to Persily, “Scammers often post fake rental properties on Facebook Marketplace, luring victims with attractive, below-market prices. They’ll ask for a deposit or personal information upfront, but the property either doesn’t exist or is not theirs to rent.” As with other FB Marketplace scams, once you’ve sent the deposit, the person you’ve been communicating with will stop responding or delete their account.
Facebook Marketplace Phishing Scams
According to the FBI, phishing schemes are designed to trick people into sharing their personal information—such as bank account numbers, credit card numbers, or passwords and PIN codes—with bad actors online. Learning more about what phishing scams can look like on Facebook Marketplace can help you avoid falling victim to one of them.
9. Suspicious Links
Cybersecurity company Huntress‘s vice president of product marketing, Seth Geftic, explains how fraudsters can target Facebook users who are selling items. “Scammers posing as buyers send links asking you to ‘verify’ your account or shipping details,” he says. “These links direct you to fake websites that steal login credentials or business data.” At this point, the sellers’ personal details are compromised, potentially leading to “hacked” (stolen) accounts, unauthorized spending, or identity theft.
10. Fake Giveaways
Giveaways and contests on Facebook Marketplace often sound too good to be true, and that’s because they probably are. Scammers can try to lure you into sharing personal information or clicking on a link to “enter” a contest. However, what can actually happen is that they obtain your personal information or infect your computer with malware. If you’re looking to find free stuff, consider joining a local Buy Nothing group on Facebook instead.
11. Verification Code Requests
Anytime a potential buyer or seller asks you to share a code sent to your phone, it should automatically raise a red flag. Fake buyers on Facebook Marketplace will use the code you provide to open up fraudulent accounts in your name in order to access your finances, steal your identity, or con your personal contacts by posing as you.
12. Scam Bots
Facebook Marketplace scammers sometimes use other new technologies to their advantage when trying to trick unsuspecting users. They may utilize automated bots to make their schemes more profitable. These bots can be programmed to instantly respond to certain listings to try to obtain personal information or open the door to virtually any of the above scams, allowing a high number of victims to be targeted by a single scammer simultaneously.
How to Avoid Facebook Marketplace Scams
Now that you know about the many hoaxes that are out there, now it’s time to learn how to buy something on Facebook Marketplace without getting scammed. While online criminals and their scams aren’t going away any time soon, they are avoidable. Follow these important tips when using Facebook Marketplace to stay safe:
- Only communicate via Facebook Messenger. Do not share your phone number or email address.
- Do not share any of your personal information with online buyers or sellers.
- Choose a secure payment method such as PayPal or Venmo—do not pay with cash.
- Manually verify that a payment has been sent rather than taking a buyer’s word for it.
- Never click links or scan QR codes sent by people you don’t know.
- Power on electronics and briefly test them to ensure they work before paying.
- Never send money to someone who is buying something from you—don’t accept overpayments or cover fees.
- Do not pay a down payment or deposit for any item or service.
- When buying or shipping items, always ask for a tracking number.
- Never share verification codes with anyone.
- Trust your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, stop communicating with them immediately.
What to Do If You’ve Been Scammed
If you think you’ve been scammed on Facebook Marketplace and want to know what to do next, there are a few steps you’ll want to follow as soon as possible:
- Reach out to the buyer or seller to confirm it wasn’t a miscommunication or error. If they don’t follow up within a day or so with a satisfactory response, proceed to the next step.
- Fortunately, Facebook Marketplace has buyer protections in place. Not all purchases are covered by Facebook policy, common issues, such as orders that were never received, damaged goods or those that do not match what was advertised, and unauthorized purchases made through a hacked account are typically covered. To initiate the process, you need to report to Facebook the buyer or seller who scammed you.
- After starting the Facebook Marketplace customer service claim, alert your local law enforcement agency of the scam and file a police report.
- To protect others from falling victim to the same scam in the future, it is also advisable to file complaints with the Internet Crime Complaint Center and Federal Trade Commission.
- Freeze your credit if you think another individual has access to your credit card information, banking information, or social security number. Doing so will prevent the scammer from being able to open any new accounts in your name.
