Beware of any sellers that ask you to pay a deposit to hold a car, even if they promise that the deposit is refundable. Car Deposit and Vehicle Purchase Protection Scamsīuying a high-value item like a smartphone has some risk, but higher value items like cars carry even more risk on account of their high price tag. And lastly, follow one of the golden rules of buying anything online: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Beware if you are asked to pay a deposit using services like PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, or another peer-to-peer service. If the agent or landlord claims to represent a company or property trust, contact them directly and verify their identity. You can reverse image search profile pictures and verify contact information by making some calls. Be wary of Facebook profiles that do not seem genuine. If you are tempted by Facebook, due diligence is required to ensure you aren’t being taken for a ride. The best way to avoid falling for this is to use verified real estate services to look for places to live. ▪️Victim 1 gave $550 ▪️Victim 2 gave $1,100 ▪️Victim 3 gave $1,050 3 different victims, SAME SCAM! Protect yourself! /PXfh7Y1NHW ⚠️SCAM ALERT⚠️ Victim contacted suspect via Facebook regarding apt rental.Victim met up with suspect & They may tell you to inspect the property in person (with or without them being present), but if you can’t get inside then you should know something is up. Some scams may be sophisticated enough to use houses that the scammer knows are empty. While many scammers resort to posting images of properties they have found online that they have no connection to in the real world, some will go a step further. Even as restrictions around the world are relaxed, the problem persists and you should ideally avoid using Facebook to find property altogether. During a time where many experienced lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, getting out and seeing a potential property in person wasn’t always possible. Fake House and Apartment Rental Listingsįacebook rental scams were given a new lease of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can search the web for this address to see if it’s been flagged by anyone else for suspicious activity. Much of the time these scammers will pass on an email address (or simply put it in the listing). This provides the scammer with some protection from having their accounts shut down by Facebook since little to no evidence of a scam will exist on the service. One reason for this may be to remove any signs of a digital paper trail that you could use to prove that the seller scammed you. One telltale sign of a scammer is a desire to take the transaction away from Facebook entirely and to another platform, like a chat app or email. RELATED: The 5 Best Payment and Money Transfer Apps Sellers and Buyers Who Take the Transaction Elsewhere For peace of mind, take someone with you and never meet in a deserted location after dark. If possible, agree on a cashless payment using a service like Facebook Pay, Venmo, or Cash App to avoid carrying large amounts of cash around with you. If you’re interested in an item agree to meet the seller in a well-lit, public area and agree on a method of payment beforehand.
You should remain suspicious even if the seller shows off the item on a video call since you cannot verify that the item is in your local area. If a seller asks you to pay for an item in advance that you have not seen in person, walk away. In the US, Facebook allows businesses to use Marketplace like an eCommerce website, but the same service is not extended to the general public. You should never pay for anything that you intend to collect in person without first seeing (and inspecting) that item. Treating Facebook Marketplace like a classified listing can also prevent you from falling victim to the next scam.
At the very least you should know to cut all contact if you’re prompted for any sort of additional “insurance” charge. While some legitimate buyers may indeed be happy to pay for an item to be shipped, the prevalence of this scam makes this a risky route to go down. Once you’ve sent the money to cover the insurance fee, the scammer takes your money and moves on to the next mark. This is often around $50, which may be an attractive price for you (the buyer) to swallow to sell a valuable item for your asking price. This scam revolves around an “insurance fee” that the buyer wants you to cover.
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