New Facebook Marketplace scam targeting sellers
Scammers trying to convince you they’re concerned about your safety, all while stealing your information
Online scams are getting harder to avoid. More and more people are trying to make extra money by selling unwanted items online, but scammers are targeting sellers. Harley Rhodes is a professional organizer who said she was targeted by this new scam.Scams and hacking: Tips to keep your information safe”It’s interesting because it seems like in a lot of items lately, you get a lot of people responding through Messenger through your ads that immediately want your phone number,” said Rhodes. That’s what happens. They respond to your online ad and then ask for your personal phone number directing the conversation off of Facebook Marketplace. Scam expert Robert Fellman of PC Professor said simply giving out your phone number could be a hacker’s easy way into your life. “If you fall for it you have now given authorization, you have given your phone number you’ve given your name you have given authorization for them to use and verify that information,” said Fellman. Fellman said the most popular scam is using Google Voice. They ask for your phone number and then a verification code. They pretend they don’t want to be scammed by you.”They will say can you please verify you are who you say you are,” said Fellman. And if you give them the code, you fell for the scam. “If they get that verification code, most likely they will set up new accounts in your name, a new bank account, new online accounts,” said Fellman. Previous coverage: Palm City woman almost scammed into sending $10K before deputies alertedFellman said if you do fall for the scam and give them the code, immediately go to Google voice and reclaim your number and re-verify that you are the rightful owner of that phone number. He also said to report the crime to authorities using this site.Fellman also recommends that if you use sites like Facebook Marketplace to keep the transactions within the Messenger app so the platform can monitor the conversation. We reached out to Facebook and their parent company Meta to see how they are helping people avoid scams and how to shop and sell safely on the platform. Stay informed: Local coverage from WPBF 25 NewsFacebook said their tips include: We encourage people to report suspicious behavior in ads, accounts on their profile, products, or in their messenger threads by tapping the three dots in the top right corner of the shop, product or ad (Help center content on reporting here). We provide robust resources for people on how to shop safely on Facebook including educational modules and tips. Additional information on our commerce policies and tools can be found HERE. For transactions completed on Facebook, we provide Purchase Protection so long as it is in line with our Purchase Protection policies.Other Resources:Shopping Safety Reporting content: How do I report something on Facebook Marketplace? How do I hide or report something I see on Facebook Shop? What steps can I take to protect myself from phishing on Facebook? How do I avoid scams while shopping? Facebook Security Center Security Features and Tips Avoid Spam and Scam
Online scams are getting harder to avoid. More and more people are trying to make extra money by selling unwanted items online, but scammers are targeting sellers.
Harley Rhodes is a professional organizer who said she was targeted by this new scam.
Scams and hacking: Tips to keep your information safe
“It’s interesting because it seems like in a lot of items lately, you get a lot of people responding through Messenger through your ads that immediately want your phone number,” said Rhodes.
That’s what happens. They respond to your online ad and then ask for your personal phone number directing the conversation off of Facebook Marketplace.
Scam expert Robert Fellman of PC Professor said simply giving out your phone number could be a hacker’s easy way into your life.
“If you fall for it you have now given authorization, you have given your phone number you’ve given your name you have given authorization for them to use and verify that information,” said Fellman.
Fellman said the most popular scam is using Google Voice. They ask for your phone number and then a verification code. They pretend they don’t want to be scammed by you.
“They will say can you please verify you are who you say you are,” said Fellman.
And if you give them the code, you fell for the scam.
“If they get that verification code, most likely they will set up new accounts in your name, a new bank account, new online accounts,” said Fellman.
Previous coverage: Palm City woman almost scammed into sending $10K before deputies alerted
Fellman said if you do fall for the scam and give them the code, immediately go to Google voice and reclaim your number and re-verify that you are the rightful owner of that phone number.
He also said to report the crime to authorities using this site.
Fellman also recommends that if you use sites like Facebook Marketplace to keep the transactions within the Messenger app so the platform can monitor the conversation.
We reached out to Facebook and their parent company Meta to see how they are helping people avoid scams and how to shop and sell safely on the platform.
Stay informed: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News
Facebook said their tips include:
- We encourage people to report suspicious behavior in ads, accounts on their profile, products, or in their messenger threads by tapping the three dots in the top right corner of the shop, product or ad (Help center content on reporting here).
- We provide robust resources for people on how to shop safely on Facebook including educational modules and tips.
- Additional information on our commerce policies and tools can be found HERE.
- For transactions completed on Facebook, we provide Purchase Protection so long as it is in line with our Purchase Protection policies.
