Facebook Marketplace is a service that the social network offers to users who want to sell and buy items. Like most classifieds sites, such as Craigslist or eBay, Facebook Marketplace is also an ideal platform for scammers. To avoid problems, read the announcements carefully and use the resources at your disposal. If you find an ad that looks like a scam, or if you have fallen victim to an attacker, immediately report the illegal activity to the authorities.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Purchase Items
Step 1. Read the Facebook Marketplace Community Rules
You will find detailed information on the practices to follow for purchases and sales, as well as a list of items that are prohibited for sale.
- Scammers can place an ad for an item prohibited by Marketplace guidelines, cashing out your money without ever completing the transaction.
- Scammers often request payments or deliveries in ways that are not authorized by general guidelines. With alternative methods you are less protected which is why scammers try to use them.
Step 2. Check the seller's profile
One of the advantages of the Facebook Marketplace over other ad and auction sites is that all transactions must be conducted by users with a Facebook account. By checking the profile you will have more information to understand if the seller is honest or a possible scammer.
- Remember that a legitimate seller can reserve a lot of their information for friends only, so their public profile may not help you. However, you will still be able to see the main profile picture and how long the account has been active.
- For example, if a seller created their Facebook profile the day before the announcement, they are a potential scammer.
Step 3. Use Facebook Messenger with caution
Facebook allows you to use Messenger to talk to the seller, negotiate the final price and close the transaction. If you suspect an ad is fraudulent, be careful what you say to the seller.
- Do not disclose any personal information. Do not tell the seller your bank account or credit card number via Facebook Messenger and do not disclose other information that can be used for identity theft.
- If the vendor claims to be from the area but you suspect they are not, you can ask them questions about local events or various neighborhoods to gauge their familiarity with the city.
- Use common sense and if your gut tells you that something is wrong, stop the transaction.
Step 4. Pay only with secure systems
If you complete the transaction online, payment systems such as PayPal protect you in case you do not receive the purchased item.
- Scammers often try to get you to pay with a money order, cash, or wire transfer. Avoid these payment methods, even for local sellers, because if the other user runs away with your money, you won't be able to get a refund or track the payment.
- If a local seller wants to get paid in cash, use common sense. In general, an honest seller will not reject a payment method. Secure payments are usually the most welcome and beneficial to all parties involved.
Step 5. Meet the local vendors in a safe place
The Facebook Marketplace was originally meant to be used by people living nearby. However, just because someone lives in the same city as you doesn't mean they won't try to scam you.
- Beware of salespeople who want to meet you at their home or at night. Insist that the exchange take place in a public place during the day, especially if you are paying in person.
- In many cases you will be able to arrange the exchange in the local police station parking lot or waiting room, the safest places to meet an unknown vendor.
Method 2 of 3: Selling Items
Step 1. Accept only the exact purchase amount
A common way to scam sellers is to propose a higher payout than the requested item. The scammer will then ask you to send him the difference with a check or money order.
- In this case the fraudster's payment will fail, while he will regularly receive your refund, in addition to the item shipped.
- There is no reason why a person should pay you more for an item, forcing you to pay the difference back.
Step 2. Check the buyer's profile
To buy an item on the Facebook Marketplace, you need a Facebook account. A legitimate buyer will have a complete profile, while a scammer may have one with very little information, created recently.
Some users' privacy settings may limit the amount of information available on their page. However, you will still be able to see the main profile picture and general history
Step 3. Talk to the buyer on Facebook Messenger
One of the benefits of the Facebook Marketplace is that it allows you to talk to buyers on Facebook. However, be careful if you suspect the user is a scammer.
- If the buyer claims to be local but you suspect they are not, ask them about local events or neighborhoods. Based on his answers, you will understand if he really knows the area.
- Don't ignore your instincts. If you feel that something is wrong, don't hesitate to abort the transaction and cancel the sale.
Step 4. Accept only secure payment methods
These methods protect both buyers and sellers. Scammers often ask to be able to pay in other ways, such as gift cards.
- Scammers often pay with gift cards that are out of stock or have been stolen and cannot be used.
- Money transfer services do not offer guarantees that the money will arrive and do not protect you in the event that you send the item and do not receive compensation.
Step 5. Do not ship items overseas
Some scammers will ask you to ship the item they bought to another country. By the time it arrives, your payment will already have been declined.
- The principle of this scam is that you will receive payment and ship the item. After that, the payment will be declined or the buyer's check will be rejected and it will be too late for you to stop shipping.
- You can avoid this scam by clearly stating in your ad that you are unwilling to ship overseas and that you refuse to negotiate.
Step 6. Meet local buyers in a well-lit, public place
Local scammers may try to rob you and take more than you offer in your ad. Be especially careful if you sell electronic devices or small items that can be easily taken.
- Don't agree to meet a buyer in a shady or isolated place, or at night.
- Ask the local police station if you can meet the buyer in the parking lot or inside the waiting room. A scammer who plans to rob you will probably not show up.
Method 3 of 3: Report a Scam
Step 1. Report the item to Facebook
There is a simple three-step process on the Facebook Marketplace that allows you to report ads that appear to be scams or violate community rules in some way.
Go to the Marketplace and find the item you think is a scam. When you click on that post, you will see the "Report post" link at the bottom right. Click it and follow the on-screen instructions to report
Step 2. Submit a report to the FBI
In the United States, you can report a Facebook Marketplace scam to the FBI using the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). You can use this service if you live in America, even if the scammer doesn't live there or if you don't know where he lives. If you are not a US resident, you can still file a report if you believe the scammer lives there.
- Go to the website https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx to learn more about the service and submit the report. The information you provide will be entered into a database that is used by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to identify criminal activity.
- Collect any information you have about the person who posted the scam and the ad itself.
- While submitting a report to the FBI does not guarantee that law enforcement will actively investigate the case, it is still a useful step in the investigation and can lead to the discovery of other evidence to stop the scammer.
Step 3. Contact the local police
Especially if the scammer lives in your area, a report to the police can help the authorities handle the situation. Keep in mind that anyone who tries to scam you will probably do it again.
- If you have already made a report to the FBI, you can also turn it in to the local police. Bring all information and documents about the transaction with you, including a printed copy of any conversations you had with the scammer on Facebook Messenger.
- Go to the police station in person to submit your report. Do not call 113 if there is no real emergency and if you are not in immediate danger.
- Ask for a copy of the police report to keep. You can call and inquire from the agent who collected your report after a week or two if you haven't heard from the case.
