How To Stop Getting Scam Messages from Fake Buyers on Facebook Marketplace

1. Know the red flags.

Here are some of the things that should make you run far, far away from the buyer:

asking for your phone number or asking you to text theirs
requesting a photo of your ID or sending a photo of theirs (they are sending a photo of someone else’s ID to make themselves seem more trustworthy)
asking for security codes or personal information
requesting help to ship the item or having a cousin/friend pick it up for them
offering more money than you were asking
pushing you to sign up for business accounts, pay additional fees, check your email, or send refunds before the deposit has landed in your bank account (pending transactions have not cleared— so that money isn’t yours yet)
sending links or emails that require you to sign into any account

2. Don’t bother warning them in the product description.

I see this tactic constantly. Sellers will say things like, “No, I won’t give you my number!!” or “Do not ask ‘is this still available,'“ or even “No scammers!!!” Unfortunately, this doesn’t help. Most of the scammers don’t even speak/read English, so they won’t know. “Is this available” is a generic response Facebook suggests to users. It’s the fastest and easiest way (though I know it gets annoying) to show interest in an item. If you truly want it to sell, don’t ignore or make assumptions about those messages. 80% of my successful sales started with the “Is this still available?” message. If you post warnings or demands, you are only wasting your own time. Very few buyers (and scammers) read the full description before messaging you.

3. Use Facebook groups or other selling apps.

Granted, you should still watch for the red flags, but higher quality Facebook groups (such as local mom for sale groups) tend to be stricter with members. I try to sell in local groups before tackling Marketplace.

4. Know that it’s outside of your control.

Unfortunately, aside from never posting on Facebook Marketplace, there’s no way to stop scammers from messaging you. Thousands of new profiles are created daily (if not hourly). Facebook tries to delete these accounts, but new ones constantly pop up. Not to mention scammers also hack into existing accounts to look more legitimate.

5. Ask for cash and list it as “first come, first served.”

Scammers have no way of getting cash to you. If you are firm on no online payments or holds, they won’t have a way to take advantage of you. Scammers may still message with excuses (or completely ignore your demands and ask for your Zelle information), so you can ignore those messages or stand firm.

6. Consider the timing of the message.

I’ve noticed most fake messages come within an hour of posting the listing. This isn’t fool proof, but I’m more cautious of messages on brand new listings.

7. End the conversation. Don’t waste any more time.

As soon as you notice red flags, end the conversation. You can leave the conversation, block the account, report it to Facebook, or simply don’t respond. Scammers can occasionally get aggressive when you confront them, and (sadly) attacking them won’t make them change their ways. For your safety and security, remove yourself from the situation.