{"id":25033,"date":"2025-05-09T15:57:13","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T23:57:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/?p=25033"},"modified":"2025-05-09T15:57:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T23:57:16","slug":"how-to-avoid-facebook-marketplace-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/how-to-avoid-facebook-marketplace-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Avoid Facebook Marketplace Scams"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In 2023, Facebook Marketplace attracted up to 1.212 billion<\/a> online shoppers per month, and Marketplace usership is still growing.\u00a0 When you\u2019ve got that many largely unregulated, peer-to-peer deals going down, you\u2019re bound to attract an army of scammers rubbing their grubby little hands together in the online shadows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how can you avoid being a victim of a Facebook Marketplace scam?  That\u2019s a broad question in a broad marketplace, but we\u2019ve put together a list of some of the most popular scams to be aware of.  With online street smarts and a little help from Spokeo, you can navigate Facebook Marketplace with confidence \u2013 and maybe even find some share-worthy deals while you\u2019re at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Does Facebook Marketplace Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Facebook Marketplace works pretty much like any other online classifieds space, and is a competitor to sites like Craigslist<\/a> and OfferUp<\/a> \u2013 among tabs like \u201cGroups\u201d and \u201cEvents\u201d on FB, you\u2019ll find Marketplace, person-to-person classified ads for privately-owned items sorted into categories like \u201cElectronics,\u201d \u201cProperty Rentals,\u201d\u00a0 \u201cHome Goods\u201d and more.\u00a0 Each ad is created and posted by the seller, with Facebook simply acting as the host, and users can search a specified radius in any US locality.\u00a0 Buyers and sellers work out the deal and the hand-off via FB\u2019s messaging system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Marketplace focuses on person-to-person exchanges \u2013 officially speaking, only physical products are allowed \u2013 it differentiates itself by offering shipping options<\/a>, so users can buy products from anywhere in the continental United States if the seller so chooses.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, this opens up an extra can of scammy worms.\u00a0 Because Marketplace is mostly peer-to-peer, regulations are light, to say the least.\u00a0 Per Facebook itself, \u201cBoth buyers and sellers are responsible for things sold in a Facebook buy and sell group or on Marketplace.\u201d\u00a0 Purchase protection<\/a> only applies to certain items ordered by mail, putting the responsibility of protecting yourself as a local buyer almost fully on the individual \u2013 which is all the more reason to dive into the dos and don\u2019ts of safely navigating Marketplace.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9 Types of Facebook Marketplace Scams<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Counterfeit Goods<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Especially when it comes to hot brands like Gucci, Apple, Prada, and Chanel, Facebook Marketplace counterfeits abound.\u00a0 In 2022, analytics firm Ghost Data reported more than 26,000 active counterfeiters<\/a> operating Facebook accounts.\u00a0 If you\u2019re seeing items sold at wild discounts, like 60 or 70 percent less<\/a> than what they go for elsewhere, be wary.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Facebook<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2. Damaged Goods<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ideally, you should only pay a seller after you’ve had a chance to inspect the goods with your own hands and eyes.\u00a0 Shipping, though, is a whole new ballgame \u2013 you can\u2019t always assess the actual condition of a product with a few JPEGs (to say nothing of some FB users\u2019 photography skills), and you may receive items that don\u2019t stack up to what you thought you purchased.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is especially common for electronics, as scammers may intentionally sell non-working electronics<\/a> \u2013 which you can\u2019t test from afar \u2013 at a this-should-very-much-work type of price.\u00a0 While con artists may sell intentionally busted stuff, honest sellers will address your concerns and find a resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Goods Not Received<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

FB Marketplace\u2019s shipping option can make shopping more breezy, but the reality is that if you agree to accept delivery through the mail, you run the risk of not receiving the item at all, despite having paid for it.  Thankfully, Facebook does offer purchase protection on most items purchased this way.  More on that later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Sketchy Giveaways\u2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While some legit giveaways only ask for your name and Facebook profile, others may ask for a whole form\u2019s worth of private information, like bank account or Social Security numbers, or even passwords.  That sort of info-mining smells like a phishing scam, a common type of racket that attempts to separate you from sensitive information in order to commit identity theft and access your bank accounts.     <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. \u2026and Other Phishing Scams<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On that note, any type of Facebook Marketplace transaction that asks you for private information is likely to be a phishing scam<\/a>.\u00a0 Local sellers don\u2019t need your Social Security or bank account routing number to sell you a TV, and legit shippers will rely on Facebook Checkout, so you don\u2019t need to give them any financial info directly.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Advance Payments<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For local purchases, if a seller asks you to send payment in any way, shape, or form before you have an item in your hands \u2013 often to \u201csecure\u201d or \u201chold\u201d the purchase of an in-demand item \u2013\u00a0 that should trigger your internal alarm.\u00a0 Same goes for any non-local purchases that ask you to pay upfront using off-site means rather than Facebook Checkout.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Rental Rackets and Car Cons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the same vein, the advance payment ripoff is particularly common in the areas of real estate rentals and vehicle purchases.\u00a0 These types of Facebook Marketplace scams will either insist on advance \u201cholding\u201d payments or ask for \u201csecurity deposits\u201d before you\u2019ve ever seen the property or vehicle.\u00a0 They may also phish for valuable private info under the guise of a \u201cbackground check.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Extra Charges<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It goes without saying that an in-person deal should only cost what you and the seller agree upon.  For buying Marketplace stuff by mail, that\u2019s even more true; items purchased via Facebook Checkout should only include the cost of the product and shipping.  \u201cInsurance\u201d and other extra charges are bogus attempts to dip into your pockets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. \u201cVerification\u201d Codes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If a seller wants to send you a code via text message to \u201cverify your identity,\u201d you\u2019re looking at a Facebook Marketplace scam.  What\u2019s happening here is that the sketchy seller is trying to get your phone number in order to set up a Google Voice account that they can then use to scam and phish others without putting their own number at risk.  This one may not immediately drain money from your bank account, but it can lead to trouble for you and other victims down the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Facebook<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Watch Out for These Red Flags <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

From counterfeit stuff to phishing attempts, there\u2019s a whole spectrum of signals that should set off the Facebook Marketplace scam siren.  Right off the bat, be aware of these nearly universal red flags: <\/p>\n\n\n\n