Facebook Marketplace is an online shop where you can buy and sell items and services. It’s Facebook’s equivalent to Craigslist ad it includes Facebook Checkout for payment services.

There are a great many scammers on Facebook and even if you’ve been in contact with someone on Facebook for some time – do not believe that you know them and they are who they say they are.

The most common scams on Marketplace are:-

• Fake products: counterfeits are much cheaper than genuine
• Romance scams: people use fake photos to lure victims into a fake romance then con money from them
• Family emergency: a family member’s Facebook page is taken over hacked and their contacts sente a plea for financial assistance
• Prizes: Lots of prizes to collect – once you have handed over your personal information. There are no prizes of course
• Celebrity scams: You will see photos of celebrities who supposedly promote some product or service. These are fake and difficult for the celebrities to have these removed quickly enough to stop people being scammed.

Tips on Staying Safe on Marketplace

1. Only use Facebook Checkout, PayPal, or cash – not money transfer services or anything else
2. If someone buys from you and claims to have made an accidental overpayment then asks for that money back – be very suspicious as this is a common scam. It can take up to 10 days for a cheque payment to clear beyond being cancelled
3. Be Aware of Fake Facebook Accounts – there is a huge number of these
4. If you’re going to meet with your buyer or seller, make sure it a safe public place – do not let a stranger into your home

If you have any experiences with these scams do let me know, by email.