What is the Facebook Marketplace?
Facebook Marketplace, an online shop and Craigslist are
alike and just as likely to contain scams. It allows you to trade goods,
services, and even homes to people in your local area. It also allows you to
purchase from other sellers.
Originally, Facebook Marketplace only offered local pay and
pickup. But since, Facebook Checkout has been introduced, allowing you to make
online purchases using a credit card or a PayPal account. If you use Facebook
Checkout, you are covered by Facebook Purchase Protection.
What are Facebook marketplace scams?
A facebook scammer can use various techniques to steal your
money or credentials. Modern cybercriminals frequently use social engineering
to dupe unsuspecting consumers into falling for scams. A scammer can trick
someone into thinking they are safe by preying on their victim's desire for the
best deal.
Identifying Facebook Marketplace Scams
How can you tell that somebody's attempting to trick you on
Facebook Marketplace? If you notice any of the following red flags, you may be
dealing with a scammer:
- A buyer or seller who has a new profile or does not have a
Facebook profile photo.
- A price that appears to be too good to be true for a
high-ticket item.
- A buyer who wishes to pay with a gift card or to send you
a prepaid shipping label.
- A buyer who "accidentally" overpays for an item
or wishes to make a quick payment.
- A seller or buyer asking for personal information such as
your phone number or email address, or wishing to communicate with you outside
of Facebook.
How do Facebook Marketplace Scams Work?
Scammers have come up with numerous methods for defrauding Facebook
Marketplace users, each of which works differently. Buyer scams typically occur
when someone attempts to purchase or trade for a product without paying. Seller
scams occur when someone provides something for sale but fails to deliver the
item as promised.
The Most Common Facebook Marketplace Scams Today
Scammers on Facebook Marketplace will knowingly deceive you
into buying something you didn’t want in the first place. Your order either
won’t be shipped, will be seriously defective, or will be a completely distinct
(and usually much less valuable) product altogether.
It is essential to identify some of the most common tactics
in order to avoid falling victim to them. Specific scamming strategies are
discussed further below.
Counterfeit items
Both online and offline markets are riddled with counterfeit
items. However, since Facebook is a global platform where anyone can trade with
anyone (and it’s often difficult to locate sellers), the risk of buying fake
products is amplified.
Counterfeit items are basically fake copies of any real
product that are sold as the "real deal." Criminals mainly copy
expensive products because they create the biggest profits.
There are many different types of deceptive products to keep
an eye out for, including fake designer clothes, perfumes, cosmetics, sports
jerseys, and jewelry.
Mailed item scams
Be aware that receiving mailed items has a much higher
"scam potential" than picking them up personally. After all, the
seller can just refuse to mail your item after you pay them.
That’s why it’s always a good choice to use FB Marketplace’s
location function to select the city where you live or a city near you, within
a few miles radius. That way, it's actually possible to meet the seller,
examine the product, and just pick it up straight away if you like it.
We understand that you might not be able to search all of
the products you require or want nearby your place. In that case, we would
first recommend you to consider if you’re better off ordering a product (new,
if necessary) from a valid web store rather than from someone whose item might
or might not exist.
Bait-and-switch
The so-called "bait-and-switch" technique is
another age-old malicious sales tactic you may encounter on Facebook
Marketplace.
This technique includes advertising a decent or luxurious
product for a relatively cheap price, only to have it "unavailable"
when a buyer contacts the seller. The seller will then offer the buyer a more
expensive product or one of lower quality or quantity. In other words, the deal
has suddenly become less appealing.
Broken products
Broken products are commonly sold on Facebook Marketplace.
It can be very tricky for buyers to check to see whether or not a product is
broken from their pictures. Images do not always accurately represent reality.
They may have been clicked at an earlier date, for example, or perhaps they’re
images of a different product altogether.
Fake Facebook Marketplace rentals
You should be cautious of fake or misleading rentals on Facebook Marketplace. There have been cases of all kinds of
deception on this front, ranging from using inaccurate images to the use of
bait-and-switch tactics, all the way to posting pictures of someone else’s
property.
Always go to the property you want to rent before
transmitting any money or signing anything. Needless to say, these scams can
also occur when purchasing a home (as opposed to renting).
QR code scams
Criminals might pretend to be interested in a product you’re
selling and even bargain a little to make the scam more believable. They will
then send a small fraction of the product’s amount and, when the full amount is
due, ask you to scan a QR code. They do so to "verify their money is wired
into the correct account."
Rather than getting your money, you will ultimately pay the
scammer the specified amount. In general, QR codes pose a significant risk of
fraud.
"Accidental" overpaying
Sellers can get conned, too. Faking payment receipts or
confirmations with an amount that’s higher than the selling price is one of the
simpler ways tricksters can trick sellers.
You know how you get a message saying you’ve transferred
money using PayPal or another payment service? It is very simple to falsify
this message without engaging in a financial transaction.
After convincing the seller they overpaid, the scammer will
request the seller pay back "the excess amount." Of course, the
seller will have no money in their bank account, but the scammer will run away
with the amount he "overpaid."
Fake giveaways
Endorsing fake giveaways is yet another common trick on
Facebook Marketplace. Swindlers hope that, by presenting fake giveaways, they
can get users to click on malicious links that will download malware on their
devices. Their goal is to get confidential data from users by convincing them
to enter the "giveaway" (phishing). Once scammers acquire your
sensitive data, they will find potential ways to abuse it.
Frankly, fake giveaways are more prevalent on other social
media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook (as in, the social media
platform, not the marketplace). However, since these platforms are extremely
well-known and these scams do also happen on FB Marketplace sometimes, it’s better
to be cautious of these scam ads.
Markers of potential fake giveaways consist of the profile
behind the giveaway being very recent, spelling errors or text that appears to
have been translated using a translation app or website, or a "prize"
that seems very dubious or "too good to be true."
There have been cases of scammers providing free
cryptocurrency on Facebook Marketplace. Obviously, these are fake giveaways.
They’re simply a ruse to get users to click on suspicious sites that possibly
contain a ton of malware or to rob their crypto or money.
Fake accounts
Fake accounts are a pretty common sight on Facebook and also
on the Facebook Marketplace. Technically, they are more of a scam facilitator
rather than a scam.
Many Facebook scams are operated using fake accounts to
protect the criminal’s identity. The key to preventing various frauds is
identifying those fake accounts.
Facebook Marketplace is linked to your normal Facebook
profile, and it uses FB Messenger to contact people.
This means you can see how long a seller on Facebook
Marketplace has been active. If they have only recently created their profile,
this is usually a red flag.
Of course, someone could have opened a Facebook account
recently to endorse on Facebook Marketplace. However, given Facebook launched
early in 2006 and the fact that it’s the world’s most famous social media,
suspicion is more than justified if you come across an account that was set up
yesterday.
Other red flags for fake accounts include blank or unusual
bios and a handful or no friends. If you think an account is fraudulent, you
should look for another seller or buyer.
Tips on Preventing Facebook Marketplace Scams
Now that we've gone over some of the most common Facebook
Marketplace scams, let's talk about how to avoid becoming a victim of one.
Follow the tips below in order to safeguard yourself from cyberattacks on
Facebook Marketplace.
1. Check the seller’s profile and reviews.
Checkout the seller or buyer on Facebook to ensure that
their profile is not fake to scam people like you. A very recently set up
account with zero or a couple of friends and an empty profile is a red flag.
If you've found a seller, read their comments. Once a seller
has received five or more comments, their reviews are made public. We suggest
not to purchase expensive items from new sellers without visible review.
2. Don’t believe "too good to be true" offers
Consider whether the deal you found on a luxury item appears
"too good to be true"—it frequently is. You may be buying defective
products or paying a deposit for a fake posting without realizing it.
Too-good-to-be-true deals are available in all forms and sizes, but they
frequently involve expensive items including jewelry and clothing from high-end
brands.
For example, selling fake high-end watches on Facebook
Marketplace is quite common. So much so that it motivates some people, such as
a few dedicated forum members from this specialist watch forum, to search for
and report fake listings.
3. Use trustworthy payment options.
Do not make payments to anyone using gift cards on Facebook
Marketplace. If they con you or don’t deliver the promised goods, it’s
extremely hard to find them using a gift card. It’s much preferred to have
proof of payment in the form of a wire transfer or a PayPal receipt.
If offered, always use Facebook Pay to make payments,
especially because some products are qualified for Purchase Protection that
way.
4. Don’t scan QR codes when receiving money.
Never scan a QR code sent to you by a potential buyer under
the guise of receiving money from your bank in this manner. Scanning QR codes
is not for receiving money, but paying for it!
5. Think before you deposit.
Always keep in mind you trust the seller before you pay a
deposit on a product. We suggest only paying a deposit for items that are from
a reputable seller.
If you are asked for a deposit, consider whether this is
appropriate for the product in question and, if so, whether the amount is
reasonable in relation to the total value.
6. Use Facebook Messenger to communicate.
Facebook suggests always using Facebook Messenger to contact
buyers and sellers. In this manner, you will have a document of your
interaction in the event of a dispute.
Of course, you can also interact using email, WhatsApp, or a
similar communication platform. The vital thing is that you don’t just agree to
a bunch of details over the phone and have no evidence to support it
Conclusion
As you shop or sell online, keep an eye out for signs of
scams and immediately take action.
Keep in mind that if a situation seems too good to be true,
it most probably is. Scammers target your desire for deals to steal
information, money, or items. But by implementing these tips, you’ll be in a
better position to safeguard yourself.
Make sure you're protected if a scammer gains access to your
account, snatches your credit card details, or directs you to a malware link.
