Which schemes are used by scammers on Facebook Marketplace?
Scam on Facebook Marketplace continues to thrive, and the number of tricked users exponentially increases. This platform offers purchasing second hand goods at favorable prices. Falling into the hands of intruders, clients are often left without their goods and also without money. Some people use advanced VPN services, so it’s almost impossible to track the location of their IP addresses. Several of the most popular scam schemes are given below.
- Shipping/delivery insurance.
Facebook Marketplace is a platform for sales. When it comes to purchasing expensive goods, you should focus on offers from local users in order to meet them personally. This will reduce the risk of scam that implies working with delivery services.
- Scammers often look like honest buyers that are willing to pay for expensive UPS shipping/delivery.
- To enhance the customer’s trust, they may send a fake delivery invoice or a complex email attachment.
- Once the client sends money to cover the insurance, the scam scheme comes to its logical end, and the intruder moves on to the next person.
- If a seller offers you to cover additional costs or fees, it’s better to cancel all the contacts with such a user.
Requirement on advance payment
If you plan to pick up the product by yourself, then you shouldn’t pay for it in advance until you visually check it. In the United States, the marketplace can be used for e-commerce, but the service doesn’t cover a wide audience.
If the user requires an advance payment, you shouldn’t send them money or make a deal/transaction.
Collecting personal data
It’s not just money that matters to intruders. Sometimes scam schemes are designed specifically to steal your personal information. During the transactions, the seller may ask the customer to enter a code to verify their identity. If you give the code to scammers, they’ll automatically gain access to your Google account and will be able to use it on their own.
To control your own security, experts recommend performing a DNS leak test and changing the network security key on a periodic basis. If you have anу doubts regarding the user you contact with, then it‘s better not to conclude any online transactions with them. And the best way is to select only those offers which allow you to first personally check the product quality and only then send/give the money to the seller.