Facebook Marketplace Scams: How to Avoid Them

Have you ever seen suspicious-looking posts on Facebook Marketplace? For example, a seller selling pricey products such as iPhones or expensive watches may request payment by PayPal or Western Union before the deal is finalized. Scams like these occur frequently on Facebook Marketplace, but fortunately, it is feasible to avoid falling into one of these traps.

Here are some of the most common types of Facebook Marketplace scams, and how you can avoid getting suckered into them by using simple common sense instead of sending money to people you don’t know.

What is Facebook Marketplace?

Facebook marketplace is a new feature that allows you to buy and sell used goods with people nearby. Whether you’re looking for clothes, furniture, or anything else, it’s worth considering how much money you’re spending. You should also consider the kind of goods you are getting before meeting up in person. It’s best practice to do as much research as possible on your item before agreeing on a price.

Also, always pay through PayPal or Venmo and make sure any communication stays through Facebook Messenger; never give out personal information like addresses or phone numbers if you don’t trust who you’re speaking with!

How To Spot The Scammer

Using social engineering tactics, scam artists have found ways to fool buyers and sellers on Facebook’s Marketplace app. For example, they may create a fake profile and message users with an offer of something at a great price. Once someone responds, they ask that you send money or your product first before receiving theirs. This is not how eBay or any other marketplace site works, so don’t fall for it!

Profile Tips For Safe Transactions

Facebook wants users to feel safe when conducting transactions on its marketplace. If a transaction goes bad, Facebook will reimburse you up to $1,000 per purchase and up to $5,000 per year. If a user reports a Facebook Marketplace scam and it meets all of Facebook’s requirements for reimbursement, it will pay back that user.

In order for transactions on its platform to be safe, Facebook has also implemented several rules. Users should be wary of scams by making sure they only conduct business with people in their network (friends or family). Transactions should also always happen face-to-face or in public places and not outside like an alleyway or parking lot. Finally, users shouldn’t give out financial information on Facebook.

Shipping And Payment

This Facebook scam can take one of two forms. The first is when a fake page sends you a private message asking you for your shipping address or payment information after you’ve already purchased an item (or multiple items) on their marketplace page.

To protect yourself, make sure that you’ve thoroughly researched any and all marketplace pages that interest you before taking any steps toward making a purchase, as well as ensuring that only friends can send messages. Additionally, using a service like PayPal will add an extra layer of protection against identity theft and chargebacks.

The second version of Facebook marketplace scams are when you’re looking at a listing and want to contact or ask questions about it, but you’ll need to pay or provide your shipping address first. To avoid these fees and getting scammed, make sure that any messaging or payments take place off of Facebook in a private manner.

Never include your payment information on Facebook (or anywhere else online) before you’ve completed payment and received your goods. If they don’t want to accept a specific form of payment (as sellers have rights on what they will accept), just move on to another seller with similar goods.

Feedback

Facebook Marketplace is an easy way for people to buy and sell locally. Unfortunately, scammers can use the Facebook marketplace as well. This post will explain some of these types of scams, what they are doing, and how you can avoid them in your own Facebook marketplace experience. If you want more information about how to navigate the Facebook marketplace safely, there’s also a video tutorial linked at the end that explains things in detail.

Buyer Protection Programs

Some Facebook marketplace scams can be prevented through protection programs like PayPal Buyer Protection and other options. These types of scams involve a fake buyer taking money from you but failing to provide payment for your product, usually due to non-delivery. As long as you keep your shipping information up-to-date, you’ll likely be covered by a third party if things do go south. If you suspect fraud or want to report it, contact PayPal directly.

In some cases, if enough people who have been targeted by fraudulent transactions report them (especially when using their credit cards), they can help investigate and ultimately reverse chargebacks that have been filed against sellers’ accounts.

How To Block Facebook Marketplace Scams

Once you see something suspicious, contact Facebook via their official Help Center and report them. That’s right: You won’t need any special apps or third-party services in order to successfully block a scammer. There are some tips below on how you can use your Facebook account directly to do so. In addition, if you have a friend who has interacted with someone who is a scammer, report them!

Even if they’re not immediately blocked, it helps put that person on notice that others have been defrauded by them and will hopefully lead them to change their ways. It also lets people know that they might be doing business with a bad actor should they decide to work with that person in future interactions.

Future Preventive Actions To Take

Are you going to be buying or selling goods through Facebook? Have you heard about how common Facebook marketplace scams are these days? People who have never even used a computer before can fall victim to some of these scams. Here’s what you need to know about these growing social media scams, and how you can prevent yourself from becoming one of their victims.

There are three types of Facebook marketplace scams:

1. Phishing
2. Malware
3. Identity Theft

Keep your identity secure and your money in your pocket by knowing what type of scam is going on, so that way you can make sure that it doesn’t happen in your case.

Last Words

If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The online world isn’t a stranger to scams and con artists are constantly on social media looking for people who are new or easily distracted. Don’t let yourself become a victim of Facebook marketplace scams! Be smart and don’t take unnecessary risks when using the Facebook marketplace.