If you plan to sell a used car on Facebook Marketplace, watch out for a growing scam.
The Better Business Bureau is warning that scammers posing as car buyers pretend to be interested in buying vehicles for sale on the social media platform. They then ask the seller to provide a phone number so they can send a code to verify that the seller is real.
At that point, the scammers take the phone number and use it to create a fraudulent Google Voice account so they can perpetrate additional scams.
In other instances, the scammer uses their phony interest in buying a car to hack into the seller’s Facebook account or to gain access to the seller’s other accounts.
The BBB says big-ticket items such as car sales are especially likely to attract scammers. To avoid becoming a victim of this scam, the BBB recommends that you conduct your business entirely on Facebook, which has built-in protections for your personal and financial information.
Never share personal details with buyers, and do not share confirmation codes, the BBB warns.
This is not the only potential scam connected to Facebook Marketplace. Other signs of a scam might include:
- Overpayment for items — the scammer will use a fraudulent payment method, then ask for a refund
- Requests for advance payment
- Communicating outside of Facebook itself
- Refusing to let buyers see an item prior to purchase
Also, be wary if a buyer or seller has a new account. This can be a sign of someone who has recently created a fake account to facilitate scams.
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