Car scammers often forge documents to make it seem like a Marketplace transaction will be handled via this service. But it’s only valid for vehicle purchases made using eBay’s platform. When asked why the price of an item is so low, the seller might offer one of a number of elaborate narratives to explain the discount: It belonged to a relative who recently died, or maybe the seller says they are in the military and are either overseas or shipping out soon and need to unload the item before moving.ĮBay’s Vehicle Purchase Protection is a real program that provides up to $100,000 in repayment for losses associated with fraud. If the seller is offering the same 1997 Honda Accord in ads targeted to users in various parts of the country, odds are high the listings are fraudulent. Buyers should Google the email address used by the seller, to see if it has been associated with fraud in the past.Ĭlick on the seller’s name to see all of their Marketplace listings. Scammers sometimes list the same email address or similar ones as they jump from con to con. Whatever the method, the goal is to quickly shunt buyers away from Marketplace and onto a platform where there are fewer risks of being caught or called out by Facebook users. Some bad actors will turn on the “vacation” setting for Facebook Messenger, which means you can only contact them via email or a website. The faux seller may want to avoid using Messenger to communicate with buyers for fear the messages could alert actual account holders that they have been hacked. But legitimate sellers don’t ask to be paid in gift cards, and this request is usually accompanied by a refusal to meet in person or show the item prior to payment.Īs mentioned above, some Marketplace scammers use other people’s authentic Facebook accounts to add legitimacy to their fraudulent listing. Gift cards may seem like an easy enough way to pay a seller who doesn’t want to be paid in cash or instant transfer. There are very few good reasons a seller would refuse to finalize the purchase in person, or would make you pay for the item without having seen it first. Many Marketplace transactions are local, such as a purchase of a used sofa from someone in the next town over. Similarly, while most cars don’t fall under the umbrella of “scarce,” a suspiciously low price tag on a vehicle should give the buyer pause for multiple reasons. Beware of Marketplace ads for in-demand tech like smartphones or video game consoles listed at or below their retail prices. If an item is rare or popular, but the seller is listing it as readily available and at a price that’s too good to be true, it likely is. This requires account holders to verify new logins through a secondary device like a smartphone that only they can access, blocking most fraudsters from illicitly logging in to their accounts. Facebook users, even those who never intend to use Marketplace, can minimize the likelihood of having their account stolen by setting up a security feature known as two-factor authentication. Online marketplaces are fertile ground for identity theft, and Facebook Marketplace is no exception, with scam artists quietly taking over legitimate user accounts to add authenticity to their cons. Facebook has its own guide for Marketplace users, and we also talked to fraud experts to better understand the warning signs of a potential scam. There are several red flags buyers and sellers should be mindful of when shopping on Marketplace. We have put together this guide to help you avoid getting scammed. Some Marketplace users have had their goods or money stolen, while others have fallen prey to violent criminals they connected with through the popular reselling platform. Without taking sensible precautions, either party could end up being a victim of robbery or fraud. Series: The Social Machine How Facebook Plays by Its Own Set of RulesĮven though Facebook Marketplace is backed by the power of the social networking giant, buying and selling items through the service can still carry the same risks as making purchases on other peer-to-peer platforms or through the classified ads of the local newspaper.īuyers and sellers on Marketplace frequently know little about each other. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. By Craig Silverman, Chris Morran and Maya Eliahou
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