Facebook Marketplace’s Dirty Dozen: The 12 most common scams and how to avoid them
Facebook marketplace, as we know, is one of the biggest platforms that provides many people with a simple and stress-free medium to advertise or market their goods and services to the public, following Facebook’s community standards.
Today, one will hardly say I can’t find this particular type of product that I am searching for or needing because the development of the same or different kinds and other qualities is displayed on the Facebook marketplace.
Read: How to Sell Items on Facebook Marketplace
Even though various products are displayed on the Facebook marketplace, today we want to consider the topic: Facebook Marketplace’s dirty dozen, about 12 common scams, and how to avoid them.
Forge products
On the Facebook marketplace, there’s a lot to be very wise about; for example, a seller may showcase luxury items, e.g. cars, watches, laptops, etc., of different kinds that are very expensive and attractive to the eyes and then willing to offer about 70% discount on the items, I’m not condemning deal being placed on any item, but then it will be best if you compare prices of that same product, if possible request to meet the person face to face before making any payment at all for the product, to avoid any story that touches the heart because no one will sell a product and run at lost even when doing a promo the seller is still sure of their income, so just to be sure they are sincere it’s best to take preventive measures.
Fake posting
This is another common scam on the Facebook marketplace close to the one I just finished discussing. Not every post you see on Facebook is sincere; scammers are putting some up, so you should only make payments for items you are very sure of.
Advance payment
A scammer may install an excellent quality of a high-demanding product. If you want to purchase the item, the seller will ask you for an advance payment to secure your purchase. The chances of that product getting to you when the seller requests an advance payment is very low, so be very conscious.
Smart purchase on the Facebook marketplace
People use many ways to purchase on the Facebook marketplace or clever tricks that people use to complete common scams. You should use another to complete your purchase if there are excess red flags on a particular page. One page filled with red flags shouldn’t stop you from exploring the Facebook marketplace and finding more quality products to your taste.
Requiring a car deposit
Apart from those small, small essential items, the Facebook marketplace is also known for selling cars, maybe already used ones. But the one thing that should always come to your mind is that the Facebook marketplace also consists of scammers, so you should do thorough research before purchasing a car on the Facebook marketplace because a seller that is a scammer may sometimes be the one showcasing a particular vehicle to you and once you make a good amount of deposit for purchase, and then request to meet face to face with the seller. The fake seller will likely give you the wrong address and possibly do away with your vast amount of money, so be very careful when making any deposit for particular goods or products.
Asking for unnecessary charges
Another common scam scammers on the Facebook marketplace is asking for excessive costs. It is just like you going to a big supermarket to purchase a few items, and at the end of it, they are requesting extra charges on the things you bought, maybe a bank charge, whereas that is supposed to be taken care of by them. The same thing applies here; once a seller starts making you pay for expenses that are not necessary, they should be considered scammers because the only possible charges you should spend on the Facebook marketplace are charges for the product you purchased and shipping fees. Any seller asking for anything outside this may not be genuine.
Paying more than the goods a buyer purchases
Scammers use This method to scam people on the Facebook marketplace. And this is mainly done by the buyers to the sellers. The buyer will intentionally overpay you and says it was a mistake, which we all know can happen. Still, scammers also use that as a medium to get what they want while you want to return the overpaid amount to them and possibly gain access to your bank account details, so be very careful.
Fake receipts
This is another Facebook marketplace scam that buyers use on sellers. In this case, they might send you a screenshot of a fake ticket, showing a successful payment which, after investigating it, you will find out is an imitation, therefore a seller should only ship a good or commodity only when they have received a credit alert from their bank account.
Mailing items
In this case, the scammer seller doesn’t ship any product for you but then shows you a forged courier receipt. It would help if you only did business with a seller. You can meet face to face in person or check the seller’s profile before putting in your money in any form of purchase.
Switch
In this very one, a seller post a very highly demanding product of a very standard quality and grabs your attention to buy it, and the seller convinces you to do so, and when next you inquire about it, they tell you that it has already been sold and you should go for a similar one instead, be careful not to fall a victim when you are not so sure of the seller to avoid being scammed.
Taking conversations out of Facebook
Once a seller insists on moving your conversations from Facebook to another platform, act wisely if possible, have a screenshot of your discussions because it may be that they are trying to do something funny, and also ensure that any conversation about a particular purchase that you want to make that started with Facebook should also end with Facebook, especially when you can’t even meet the person face to face.
Giveaway that is not genuine
A giveaway on its own is not a bad thing to do or get involved in, but then be careful not to fall into any trap because just as we have good and bad things, that’s the same way we have excellent and fake giveaways so be careful not to fill in your confidential details all in the name of the giveaway.
In summary, ensure to be very careful not to share personal information, make payments for unnecessary charges, make payments for items you are unsure of and a lot more, all to arrive at the aim of not falling into the den of scammers.