Dozens of people have fallen victim to local Facebook Marketplace scams, Vancouver police said in a warning to the public Friday.
Police said a recent investigation revealed up to 50 people have been impacted by scams. In the scheme, a suspect will post an item for sale and schedule a meeting with a buyer.
The buyer will agree to send money before meeting the suspect, only to stop receiving messages from them. The seller also won’t show up to exchange the items.
“Don’t send money to anyone selling an item over Facebook Marketplace without meeting the person first or confirming they are a legitimate seller,” said Const. Tania Visintin in a news release.
“Pick a safe public place, like a police station lobby, to meet up with anyone you’re planning to do business with.”
Police said their investigation led them to a Surrey home last week, where they executed a search warrant. There, officers found various weapons including a loaded gun and documents linking a suspect to the Facebook scam.
“We believe suspects were using multiple bank accounts, fake names, and various phone numbers or emails to execute these frauds,” Visintin said.
“Evidence obtained during these investigations suggest there are dozens of victims who have not yet come forward to police.”
Anyone who thinks they fell for this type of scam should call police at 604-717-4034.
