How the Facebook Marketplace Scam Works
We recently placed a large screen TV on Facebook Marketplace.
Yesterday I received two inquiries at the same time from two different accounts. Both women.
The first one from “Melissa” started like this:
- I’m interested in buying it where are you located
<notice the lack of punctuation>
I told her.
- What’s the present condition and how long have it been with you?
<I told her – this info was at the top of the listing>
- Okay,Kindly get back to me with your address so my son can pick it up at 4pm if that works for you
- I hope you have Zelle so i can make the payment now
<I gave her what she asked for>
- What’s yo ur Zelle mail so i can make the payment now
<I gave her the info>
- Okay
- Hang on
- I have successfully sent it check up your email inbox for confirmation payment now!
Then she sends this image:
Notice the YK in the circle. Those are the initials of the sender unless they have uploaded a photo. The person sending the message is Melissa.
I told her I had no record of it in Zelle and to cancel the transaction and send it to my wife’s account instead.
Meanwhile I get this email:
Note the FROM address is a Gmail account. Zelle does not use Gmail.
- Yes I sent the money to your wife account already
- They’ve already deducted the money from my account
- Do you receive it ?
<I tell her there is no sign of the money>
- They’ve already deducted the money from my account
- Check your wife primary email or spam folder and refresh it
- For confirmation
- Check your spam and refresh it
- I think you should check your junks folder
- I got that an email from Zelle analyzing that you have low limit on your Zelle account that you’re not able to receive the payment that I’ll have to send you additional payment of $250 now and you send it back to me immediately so you can be credited the total amount
They’ve already deducted the money from my account
- My husband have this same issue yesterday
- So we’ve to let the buyer send us additional payment and we send it back to the buyer then we got credited with the total amount immediately
Do you read and understand the email ?
<I told her to cancel the transaction as it did not arrive>
- Yes
- Once I have to send you additional payment and you send it back to me before you can be credited with the total amount of $700
- They’re doing this for your safety
- My have this same issue yesterday
- So I know how it works
<now that I have had a minute to look at the fake email I see it is a scam.>
I respond
No
The email it came from is a scam account.
Venmo, PayPal or Cash.
[crickets]
Scam Number Two from “Maria”:
- Is it still available for sale
<I tell her Yes>
- How long have you been using it and what is the present condition?
<I tell her – all of this is in the listing?
- Where are you located?
<I give her the rough coordinates>
- Do you have Zelle to the payment but my oldest son will the one to pick it up because I won’t be available but I’ll be paying for it.. to pick it up because I won’t be available but I’ll be paying for it..
<I tell her she can Venmo it>
- I only have zelle for the payment now cause it is linked to my bank. Can you sign up zelle now or if you don’t mind checking if your bank do accept zelle as well
<I tell her No. Venmo, PayPal or cash>
- Alright a minute
- I just sent it and the email i just received from Venmo says the payment confirmation has been sent to you via emails…..Did you receive it?
The confirmation email looks like this:
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