Scammers have been around for a long time! Did you know that the first reported scam happened in 300BC? Hegestratos and Zenosthemis, two Greek sea merchants, attempted to commit insurance fraud by sinking their cargo ship. They were caught in the act, Hegestratos lost his life trying to escape, and Zenostemis was left to face the Athenian courts. Today’s scammers are more savvy, from Charles Ponzi and Bernie Madoff, who were able to amass millions, to the Facebook Marketplace scammer who sits quietly on your computer, and you might not even be aware they are there.
Spotting a Scammer
There are some subtle ways to spot a Marketplace scammer. They will use a new profile with very little information and few friends. These accounts are often made with stolen photos. They are selling items at a deep discount, way overpriced, or extremely hard to get. Recently, thousands of reports of scammers selling Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour tickets online took unsuspecting fans for hundreds of thousands of dollars. There is no need to provide a Marketplace seller with your personal information. It is best to meet a Marketplace seller at a public location to exchange goods. Inspect any item before sending money; if the seller is looking for a deposit, it might be a scam!
Ways to avoid the scam
To avoid Facebook Marketplace scams, check their profile page, see if anyone else has dealt with this buyer before, never send money before receiving a product, and ask questions about the item before agreeing to purchase it. It is essential to trust your gut instincts; if something seems too good to be true or communications with the seller feel off, run, don’t walk away. If you suspect someone of being a scammer, report them! This is the only way we all stay safe!
Sources:
The History and Evolution of Fraud. (n.d.)
James, M & Trejos, S. (Oct 27,2023). 18 Facebook Marketplace Scams and How to Avoid Becoming a Victim.
Facebook: Worried about that great deal on Facebook marketplace? Here are some quick tips to keep yourself safe. https://algonquincollegesocialmedia.wordpress.com/?p=135605
ed about getting scammed on marketplace? #AvoidTheScammer, #SpotTheScam https://algonquincollegesocialmedia.wordpress.com/?p=135605
Algonquin College Social Media Certificate Program 
It’s so disheartening that scammers are everywhere and that we need to be suspicious of everything. Friends of mine were recently scammed out of more than $10,000 USD on a vacation rental from Craig’s List. They had done the research, called the references and everything checked out. Unfortunately, it was a very sophisticated scam from a VRBO listing that had all the right information. For that reason, we would never commit a substantial amount of money on any on-line marketplace. We’ve used Facebook marketplace for smaller items but are always on guard when we do!
That is horrible for your friends. It is awful that we need to be skeptical of everything.