Facebook Marketplace scams: how fake buyers and sellers work
Quick answer
On Facebook Marketplace, scammers pose as buyers who send fake payment notices or ask for a refund of an "overpayment", and as sellers with too-good prices who want payment outside the platform. Meet locally, don't share verification codes, and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
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How it works
Marketplace scams come in two directions.
Fake buyers target sellers. The FTC describes a scammer who says they want your item, then insists on paying through a mobile payment app. They may send a fake payment notification, or say they overpaid and ask you to send back the difference. The payment never arrives, or it's reversed, and your refund is real money. Some also ask for a verification code "to confirm you're real". The FTC warns that sharing a code like that can let someone set up an account or number tied to your phone.
Fake sellers target buyers. Facebook's help center describes sellers who advertise goods at a price that's too good to be true, push you to move the chat to email or another app, and press for a quick payment, sometimes by crypto. Once you pay, they stop replying and nothing arrives. Meta says its onsite checkout is covered by its purchase protection, while person-to-person and off-platform payments aren't refunded.
What they're after is a quick payment that's hard to reverse (the FTC lists wire transfers, gift cards, cash reload cards and crypto), or a code or login they can use on your accounts.
Red flags
- A price far below what the item usually sells for
- A buyer or seller who wants to move the chat off Marketplace to email or another app
- A "payment received" notice you only saw in a message, not in your own payment app or bank
- An "overpayment" and a request to send some of it back
- A request for a verification code sent to your phone
- Payment by wire transfer, gift card, cash reload card or crypto
- Pressure to decide or pay right now, or a buyer who won't meet in person
Example message
Hi, is this still available? I'll take it. I've sent the payment through [payment app], but it was more than your asking price by mistake. Please refund the extra $[amount] to me and I'll send my driver to collect it today.
What to do
- 1
Don't send anything back or ship the item
Check your own payment app or bank account, not a screenshot or notice. If the money isn't there, or you can't tell, don't refund the "overpayment" and don't hand the item over.
- 2
Never share a verification code
If someone asks for a code that was texted to you, stop replying. If you already shared one, secure the account it belongs to (change the password and turn on two-step verification) and contact your phone carrier.
- 3
If you paid a fake seller, contact your payment provider
Call your bank, card issuer or payment app right away using the number on your card or in the official app, say it was fraud and ask them to reverse the payment. Wire transfers, gift cards and crypto are hard to recover, so don't wait.
- 4
Keep records and block the account
Screenshot the listing, the profile and the chat, and save receipts and payment details. Then block and report the account to Facebook.
- 5
Next time, keep it local and inside the platform
Meet in a public place and take cash for local sales. For shipped items, use Marketplace's own checkout so its protections apply.
Report it
Check if your details are exposed with Serus
Scammers find your number and address on data brokers and people-search sites. Serus removes them.
Why you got it
Marketplace scammers pick people who have an item listed, and listings often show your name, your area and your photos. If they know more, such as your phone number or email, a message to you gets more believable. Those details are easy to find on people-search sites and in breaches. Serus finds the data brokers that list you and removes your details, and it alerts you when your email shows up in a breach. See our guide to what to do after a data breach.
More Facebook scams
Frequently asked
Is Facebook Marketplace a scam?
No. Marketplace is a real platform run by Meta, and scammers use it to find victims. Meta says purchases through its onsite checkout are covered by its purchase protection, so how you pay matters.
Why does a buyer want me to share a code?
A texted code is a way into an account or phone number tied to you. The FTC says never to share one. A real buyer doesn't need it.
A buyer says they overpaid. What should I do?
Don't refund anything. Check your own account for the money. The FTC describes fake payment notices and overpayment claims as a common way to get sellers to send real money.
Can I get my money back if I paid a fake seller?
Contact your bank, card issuer or payment app straight away. Meta says it doesn't refund person-to-person or off-platform payments, so your payment provider is the best route.
Sources
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