Facebook Marketplace users became easy targets for scammers.
Buying or selling through the Facebook Marketplace became very easy. A large number of items can be sold on this platform, from cell phones, household items to cars or homes.
That made a billion people around the world turn to this tool, that’s why it doesn’t escape the sight of criminals either.
According to a survey by the company ESET, one in six users was a victim of a scam through the Marketplace.
There are several forms of fraud on the platform: one of the most common is the sale of defective items, in the photos the product is shown in perfect condition, but once delivered they are surprised that it is damaged.
Another strategy used by criminals is to sell counterfeit or replica items as if they were originals.
Scammers also try to trick users into claiming an overpayment, pretending to be a buyer and claiming they made the deposit twice by mistake, when no payment was ever made.
Fake transactions became common on Marketplace. Scammers send doctored screenshots of alleged bank deposits.
Be careful, if you are going to make a purchase or sale by this means, establish a meeting point in a public place and not a house, preferably during the day. Check the other user’s profile, do not provide any personal or sensitive information and above all, be suspicious.
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