How To Spot Facebook Marketplace Scam Buyers – A Seller’s Guide
It’s the year 2023, and we’re being hit by scammers from left and right, tricking sellers on Facebook Marketplace. This scam happens either through Chronopost, Zelle, DPD courier or even DSV letter carrier scam. As a seller on Facebook marketplace, I’ve had my fair share of scammers posing as buyers.
In this detailed review, I share common Facebook Marketplace scam, and warning signs to look out for when approached by a buyer on Facebook marketplace.
Common Facebook Marketplace Scams and How They Work
Zelle Facebook Marketplace Scam
The Zelle Facebook Marketplace Scam works this way – scammer pretends to be a buyer interested in what you listed on Facebook marketplace. Then he tells you he can only pay through Zelle. If you accept, he requests for your email address.
This is where the scam comes in.
The scammer sends a fake payment email that appears to be from Zelle. However, the fake email claims the buyer paid using a Zelle business account and you – the seller – must also upgrade to a Zelle business account before you receive the payment. The upgrade fee is often pegged between $200 – $300.
The scammer then convinces the seller that he received the same email from Zelle, and, to make things easy, he sends another fake email that covers the purchase fee and upgrade fee. Then asks to be reimbursed by the seller for the upgrade fee.
This is all a scam. When you check your Zelle account you wouldn’t see the money there.
How To Spot a Fake Zelle Payment Email
Suspicious Email Address
Always double-check the email address.The official Zelle email address ends in @Zelle.com or @Zellepay.com. To find out the email address open/expand the “To” and “From” email address fields.
Spelling Errors
One thing that is common with phishing emails are spelling errors. This is because the scammers were in a haste to create and send the email. Always look for spelling and grammatical errors, as it is huge indicator that the email is fake.
Contains an Urgent Call of Action
Scammers know that most of us procrastinate. We receive an email giving us important news, and we decide we’ll deal with it later. In this scenario, the longer you look at the email, the more likely you will notice things that don’t seem right. So they create a sense of urgency, send now.
DSV Letter Carrier Scam
The DSV letter carrier scam works this way – scammer pretends to be a buyer interested in what you listed on Facebook marketplace. Then he tells you he can only pay in cash, and he’d send a DSV courier with the cash to pick it up.
If you accept to receive payment in cash, the scammer would request for your email address. This is where the scam comes in. A fake DSV email would be sent to you about £100 for ‘customs and £50 for insurance. The DSV site they send is a fake one. Once you click on the link and make the payment, the money would go straight to the scammers.T
This is simply a courier scam. No one is showing up to your house with cash.
The question you should ask yourself is this ‘why would their courier ask money in advance to pick something up?’ Makes no sense, if anything, the buyer should be paying for the courier, not you.
Red Flags That Shows It’s A Scam
Asks for Bogus fees
Legit courier services don’t ask for upfront fees like insurance and custom fees before delivering the item. In fact, it’s the responsibility of the buyer to foot the delivery fee.
Uses a Website URL different from DSV
The site URL is not the official DSV courier domain, dsv.com.
Suspicious Email Address
Always double-check the email address.The official DSV email address ends in dsv.com. If it looks fishy, like “[email protected],” it’s not from DSV courier.
Chronopost Facebook Marketplace Scam
The scam buyer often use the following conversation script –
- Hi, is this available?
- – me: yes
- Hi, is it in good condition?
- What is the price?
- Where are you from?
- – me: I supplied district and said full spec is on the ad (I didn’t specify the price)
- Ok the price suits me ok I take it but I would like to come today but I am busy with work at the moment, I’ll send a Chronopost letter carrier to your home to give you your money in cash and collect the item .
- – me: I’m not familiar with Chronopost
Once you give the buyer your email and address, you’ll receive a Chronopost email which is obviously fake. The email from “Chronopost” contains a link asking for £50 for insurance for DPD that will be refunded once the items are delivered. This is where the scam comes in. The DPD site they send is a fake Once you click on the link and make the payment, the money would go straight to the scammers.
How To Spot a Chronopost Scam on Facebook Marketplace
Just like the DSV letter carrier scam, the indicators are bogus email address (official chronopost email address ends in either @chronopost.com or @chronopost.fr), asks for bogus fees, spelling errors, and a note of urgency.
How To Avoid Being a Victim of Facebook Marketplace Scam Buyers
- Always check the profile of the buyer
- Take your time to assess any contact you receive and do not make hasty decisions.
- Check the email received has spelling or grammatical errors, and if it’s from the original email address of the payment company.
What To Do If You’re a Victim of Scam Buyers on Facebook Marketplace
Contact Your Bank and Report Loss of Funds
The first thing you should do is contact your bank to inform them about the fraudulent purchase. Through the chargeback system, you can get your money back from the transaction if you file a dispute claim. You could also request for a credit card freeze. That way, your bank would block any future transactions on your credit card, ensuring that scammers are unable to exploit it.
Update Your Passwords and Enable Two Factor Authentication
The second step you should take is updating your passwords. This should be done if you’ve used the same password you used on this Issuedos.com on other websites or applications. You should also go an extra step of enabling two-factor authentication. This would keep you protected from data breech.
Meanwhile, you should beware of any fraudulent email Do not click on any suspicious link in the email, as it could be a phishing scam. Clicking on the link might install malware on your phone which could compromise your device’s security.
Report the Scam
Report the scam to relevant authorities and organizations. This includes:
- Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): If you are in the United States, you can file a complaint with the IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov/.
- Your Local Consumer Protection Agency: Contact your local consumer protection agency or the equivalent regulatory body in your country.
- Better Business Bureau (BBB): File a complaint with the BBB if the online store is based in the United States.
