Cybersecurity experts on vehicle Facebook marketplace scam

Buying on Facebook Marketplace or Depop can be a great way to save some cash and be more sustainable but it’s important to be aware of who you are buying from and how scammers can target you.  

Cybersecurity experts from VPNOverview.com have put together some top tips on spotting scams and how to prevent them in hopes of being able to purchase those goods online without any harmful consequences.  

Motorists should be careful to watch out for scammers on Facebook Marketplace trying to scam innocent buyers out of thousands of pounds. Drivers looking to buy vehicles on Facebook Marketplace should follow these tips and do their research before making any big purchases.  

1. Don’t deposit a large amount of money 

Facebook Marketplace has become a huge platform to buy and sell various expensive products, including vehicles.  

With such expensive items like cars, the scammer might ask for a deposit so they can hold the vehicle for you. However, after that deposit is paid, they might delete their account or give a fake address when it is time to meet up and get the car.  

Always check if the deposit is reasonable to what the product’s total price is and never pay a large or full sum upfront. 

2. Check how active the seller is  

The easiest red flag for spotting a fake seller is by checking how active they have been on their account, if they have very recently created their profile, it can be a significant concern. Other red flags can include strange bios and few or no friends, and no reviews. 

However, someone could have recently created a Facebook account or Depop recently to advertise on Facebook Marketplace.

3. Avoid using gift cards 

This type of scam is extremely hard to get your money back from, as gift cards are classed as anonymous and cannot always be traced. Other payment methods to be wary of, especially on Depop as sellers claim it is to avoid the selling fees, is PayPal’s ‘Family and Friends’ as it is also classed as a ‘gift’ payment, so it has no ‘buyer protection’.  

Always use the most trusted payment method and refrain from being convinced to use gift cards instead.  

4. Don’t trust screenshots  

Scams do not just come in selling form, they can be a buyer. Meaning if you are selling on Facebook Marketplace or Depop, you can also get scammed.  

Scammers have found ways of faking payment receipts or confirmations showing you they paid more than the initial price listed. The scammer will then ask the seller to pay back the overpaid amount and then have a profit off the seller, whilst the seller never received any money from the scammer.

Refrain from sending any overpaid payment until you have physically seen the money in your bank and do not trust the screenshots the scammer might send over. 

5. Does it seem too good to be true?  

Fake designer items, also known as counterfeits, are popular on second-hand marketplaces as well as vehicles. However, it can be a lot harder to spot the quality and details from a photo online and it also runs the risk of it even being a catfish photo of the product.  

 Do not believe offers that are ‘too good to be true’ as often it is the case. Popular items include fake watches, clothing, perfumes, make-up and jewellery. 

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Even when being extremely careful, it can still happen to anyone becoming a victim of a Depop or Facebook Marketplace scam. If any of these scams do occur, it is recommended to follow these four steps below: 

Report the account and the listing straight away, this can help any other buyers/sellers being scammed and helps getting the scammer blocked from the platform.  

Facebook Marketplace and PayPal have Purchase Protection. Purchase Protection withholds payments to the seller for several days, or until the buyer has marked an item as received. If there’s problems with the item, or the seller does not post it, you can flag an issue and request a refund. 

A spokesperson from VPN Overview has commented: “Second-hand Marketplace’s provides an easy way to save cash by connecting with buyers and sellers online. However, in some instances, it also provides an easy way to connect directly with scammers. Scammers are relentless and are constantly creating new ways to trick innocent people into gaining their money. By understanding the main scams that can happen through second-hand Marketplaces, you can avoid them, spot them and report them to protect your own money and save other innocent users being scammed.”