HYRUM – Social media experts are warning Facebook Marketplace users to be careful when purchasing items on that platform. Lucy Adams, a Social Media expert from Journo Research, said media marketplaces can be a great way to save money but be aware it is a scammer’s paradise. Buyers should take the time and be sure who they are buying from and how scammers can target them.
One Hyrum woman found a great deal on an appliance on a local Facebook Market. She was looking for an appliance, but when she asked to go see it the red flags began to surface.
The seller wanted her to Venmo the money before she would give the address to check out the merchandise. After another few exchanges she smelled a rat and ended the deal.
There has been an explosion of recent searches worldwide for “Facebook Marketplace scam” by 268.1% said Adams.
VPNOverview.com are cybersecurity experts and have compiled a list of some top tips on spotting social media scams and how to prevent them. The hope is to inform people so they are able to purchase those goods online without any harmful consequences.
- Check how active the seller is
The best red flag for spotting a fake seller is check how active they have been on their account, if they have very recently created their profile, it can be a significant concern. Other red flags can include strange bios and few or no friends, and no reviews.
Some scammers could have recently created a Facebook account recently to advertise on Facebook Marketplace.
- Does it seem too good to be true?
Fake designer counterfeits can be sold both offline and online. It can be a lot harder to spot the quality and details from a photo online and it also runs the risk of it even being a catfish photo of the product.
Do not believe offers that are ‘too good to be true. Popular items include fake watches, clothing, perfumes, make-up and jewelry.
- Avoid using gift cards
A Facebook Marketplace seller can ask to be paid through different payment methods, such as a gift card. Once the scammer has received the payment, they can block the buyer and never post the item you bought.
Gift cards are classed as anonymous and cannot always be traced making this type of scam extremely hard to get your money back from and cannot always be traced. Other payment methods to be wary of as sellers claim it is to avoid the selling fees, is PayPal’s ‘Family and Friends’ as it is also classed as a ‘gift’ payment, so it has no ‘buyer protection’.
Always use the most trusted payment method and refrain from being convinced to use gift cards instead.
- Don’t deposit a large amount of money
Facebook Marketplace has become a huge platform to buy and sell various expensive products, including vehicles.
Scammers might ask for a deposit so they can hold an expensive item like a car. for you. However, after that deposit is paid, they might delete their account or give a fake address when it is time to meet up and get the car.
Always check if the deposit is reasonable to what the product’s total price is and never pay a large or full sum upfront.
- Don’t trust screenshots
Scams do not just come in selling form, they can be a buyer. Meaning if you are selling on Facebook Marketplace, you can also get scammed.
Scammers can fake payment receipts or confirmations showing you they paid more than the initial price listed. Some scammers will then ask the seller to pay back the overpaid amount and then have a profit off the seller, whilst the seller never received any money from the scammer.
Buyers should refrain from sending any overpaid payment until you have physically seen the money in your bank and do not trust the screenshots the scammer might send.
Even when being extremely careful, it can still happen to anyone becoming a victim of a Facebook Marketplace scam.