How to Avoid Being Scammed on Facebook Marketplace – As with any other market, the Facebook marketplace has its fair share of dishonest sellers and potential buyers. Scammers target people who are selling something online for the first time; they recognise this as a weakness and exploit it.
Luckily, there are some simple ways to avoid being scammed on the Marketplace that you can take note of before you sell anything. The main things to watch out for when avoiding being scammed on Facebook Marketplace are:
- Read all messages from strangers carefully – Meet in a public place
- Never leave your home to buy something without bringing someone with you, preferably a friend or family member
- Always meet during daylight hours, not at night
- Do not reveal personal information such as your home address or phone number unless you’re absolutely sure they are trustworthy
- Insist on meeting in a neutral location such as a coffee shop or somewhere else public where there will be plenty of potential witnesses if anything suspicious happens
How to Avoid Being Scammed on Facebook Marketplace is what we will be covering in the course of this article. Thus, if you are here because you are in dire need of the processes involved in accessing facebook marketplace and how to use it to buy and sell online, this article has gotten you covered.
How To Buy And Sell on Facebook marketplace is pretty simple and easy. However, before we shall proceed with the steps in getting that done, let’s first off, consider how to create a facebook account.
This is particularly important since facebook marketplace is located within the facebook app and facebook web and without an account, one can’t access it the marketplace homepage.
Thus, if you are among the numerous persons who are yet to sign up for a facebook account, here are the steps you need to follow to easily get that done:
- Open your mobile device and get it connected to an internet source
- Next, go to google play store or apple apps store and search for facebook
- Tap on the install button
- Download the app on your device
- Tap create or sign up account button
- Enter your first and last name
- Enter either your email address or phone number
- Select your gender and enter your date of birth
- Enter your password
- Tap create account
- Go to your email address or SMS and get your facebook account verified
Afterward, set up your facebook profile by entering your information and uploading your cover and profile picture.
Those are the steps you need to follow to easily create facebook account on mobile app.
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Let’s quickly take a look at how to create a facebook account on web version of the giant social media platform.
How To Create Facebook Account On PC
Here are the steps you need to follow to easily create a facebook account on the web version of the platform:
- First off, you will need to open your system web browser e.g. chrome, UC browser, and Firefox.
- Next, you will need to visit facebook.com which is the Facebook official website.
- Afterward, you will be directed on their sign-up home page. enter your first and last name.
- Now, type in your email address and a new password inside boxes.
- And enter your birth date and sex category.
- Then click the sign-up button below.
A verification email will be sent to your email account inbox. Login your email account and access your mail inbox. Click or copy the code you see inside the email text and paste it inside the verification box and click verify.
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By these, you can create your Facebook account and verify it. you can log in your Facebook account if you already have an account on Facebook before. The steps below will show you how to do that.
- After visiting the URL, you will find the login box.
- Enter your username and then your account password.
- And click login, to access your account.
Countries That Can Access Facebook Marketplace
Here are the lists of countries where Facebook marketplace is currently available:
- Argentina.
- Australia.
- Austria.
- Belgium.
- Belize.
- Bulgaria.
- Canada.
- Chile.
- Costa Rica.
- Croatia.
- Cyprus.
- The Czech Republic.
- Denmark.
- Ecuador.
- Estonia.
- The Dominican Republic.
- Finland.
- France.
- Germany.
- Greece.
- Hungary.
- India.
- Ireland.
- Italy.
- Latvia.
- Lithuania.
- Luxembourg.
- Malta.
- Mexico.
- The Netherlands.
- New Zealand.
- Nigeria
- Norway.
- Panama.
- Paraguay.
- Peru.
- The Philippines.
- Poland.
- Portugal.
- Puerto Rico.
- Romania.
- Singapore.
- Slovenia.
- South Africa.
- Spain.
- Sweden.
- Switzerland.
- Thailand.
- The United Kingdom.
- The United States.
- Uruguay.
Having done that, let’s proceed with the business of the day, How to Avoid Being Scammed on Facebook Marketplace.
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What to know before using Facebook Marketplace
Before diving headfirst into Facebook Marketplace, it’s important to know what you’re getting yourself into. When it comes to social media apps like FB Marketplace, there are certain caveats that users should be aware of so that they can best protect themselves from falling victim to scammers.
- Is the app safe? You may be wondering if the app is safe to use. The truth is that it’s as safe as you make it. Keep in mind that there are scammers on every app, and if you are not careful, they will take advantage of you. There are a few things that you can do to keep yourself safe while using the app, like only meeting in public places, bringing a friend if you can, and bringing your phone with you so that you can take pictures of the item or seller if needed.
- Is the app legitimate? It’s also important to check and make sure that the app is legitimate. There have been some false Facebook Marketplace apps that have been created to steal your information. If you are ever unsure if the app is real or not, you can always do a quick Google search to find out more information about the app.
How to avoid being scammed on Facebook Marketplace?
Facebook Marketplace is a great place to find items at a low price. There are tons of different types of items for sale, including cars, furniture, clothing, and more. Before you dive into this app and start purchasing items for cheap, there are a few things you should keep in mind so that you don’t become a victim of a scam.
- Research the seller’s reputation. Before you decide to meet up with a seller and exchange money for an item, you should always research the seller’s reputation. This can protect you from becoming a victim of a scammer. Look at the seller’s feedback and read through the comments. If they have a bad reputation, then you should find another seller to meet with.
- Ask questions. If you feel uneasy about a sellers’ offer, then you should ask questions. This can help you determine whether or not the seller is legitimate. You can ask questions about where the seller found the item, how long they’ve had it, and more. You can even ask questions about the item’s price, if you’re interested in buying it.
- Be cautious. Even if a seller’s reputation is good and they have great feedback, you should still be cautious when meeting with them. Avoid meeting in secluded areas, and try to meet in a public place instead. Bring a friend along with you if possible, and bring your phone with you so that you can take pictures if needed.
Tips for users who want to be cautious
- Be careful who you interact with. If you’re looking to sell an item, be careful who you interact with. There are scammers on every app, and they are looking to scam you. Look through the person’s comments, and if they have a bad history, don’t try to sell to them. You don’t want to be scammed.
- Ask for ID. If you’re selling an item, always ask for ID from the person who is buying from you. This can help you protect yourself from scammers.
- Avoid wiring money. If you’re selling an item, don’t wire money to someone you don’t know. This can lead to you being scammed.
- Avoid using cash apps. If you’re planning on selling an item, avoid using cash apps. Scammers can take advantage of these apps and steal your money.
- Be careful when meeting in person. If you’re planning on buying or selling an item in person, always meet in a public place.
- Avoid putting up false information. If you’re selling an item, make sure that you don’t put false information in your ad.
Tips for users who don’t want to be scammed
- Be careful who you interact with. If you’re looking to sell an item, be careful who you interact with. There are scammers on every app, and they are looking to scam you. Look through the person’s comments, and if they have a bad history, don’t try to sell to them. You don’t want to be scammed.
- Ask for ID. If you’re selling an item, always ask for ID from the person who is buying from you. This can help you protect yourself from scammers.
- Avoid wiring money. If you’re selling an item, don’t wire money to someone you don’t know. This can lead to you being scammed.
- Avoid using cash apps. If you’re planning on selling an item, avoid using cash apps. Scammers can take advantage of these apps and steal your money. – Be careful when meeting in person. If you’re planning on buying or selling an item in person, always meet in a public place.
Don’t rush in to make a deal
As excited as you might be to find that cheap item you’ve been looking for, you should always make sure that you take your time when browsing Facebook Marketplace. If you rush into making a deal, you could end up being scammed by a dishonest seller. Don’t click on the item’s link right away.
Instead, take your time and read the item description carefully. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. You also want to make sure that you check the seller’s reputation before you commit to anything.
If you feel like the deal is too good to be true, then it probably is. Walk away from the deal and continue searching for other items. There are plenty of great deals on Marketplace that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.
Check the authenticity of the seller
One way to ensure that you aren’t being scammed is to check the authenticity of the seller. You can do this by visiting the seller’s profile and scrolling down to the “About” section. From here, you should be able to see whether the seller has a public profile or not. Don’t buy from a seller who doesn’t have a public profile.
You don’t want to be giving your money to someone who you can’t hold accountable. Instead, you want to buy from someone who has a public profile where you can see feedback from other Facebook Marketplace users.
Before you agree to meet up with a seller and make a purchase, you should always make sure that they are legitimate. There are many ways that you can do this, but the easiest is to ask them for some form of ID.
However, don’t just take their word for it that they are who they say they are. You can use a free online tool to verify their ID.
One example of such a service is called Verify Id. The tool will let you enter the details of the ID, and will then let you know if the details are legitimate or not. This is a very easy way to check the authenticity of a seller without having to ask for their ID. You can also use a third-party app like Trustify to make sure that the seller is legitimate.
Meet in a public place
If you are buying or selling an item on Facebook Marketplace, you should always meet in a public place. You don’t ever want to meet a seller in a secluded area, as this could leave you vulnerable to theft and scams. You should always meet in a public place during the day with plenty of people around.
This will make it much harder for scammers to steal from you, or for you to get scammed. If you’re selling an item, you should try to meet the buyer at their house. This can help reduce instances of buyers trying to scam sellers by bringing a fake check to their house and asking them to cash it for them.
Always try to meet as early in the day as possible, and try to bring a friend with you if you can.
If you are meeting with another Facebook Marketplace user, make sure that you are doing so in a public place. This way, you can avoid a lot of different scams such as being robbed at gunpoint.
Don’t be afraid to tell the other person that you want to meet in a public place. Doing so will ensure that you are protected from common scams that happen on Facebook Marketplace.
Watch out for these red flags
If you are looking to buy an item on Facebook Marketplace, you should be on the lookout for these red flags:
- The seller has no feedback or very little feedback on their profile
- The item is priced way below the market value
- The seller wants to meet you in a remote or unfamiliar place
- The seller wants you to send payment through a method that is untraceable
- The seller is asking for your personal information
- The seller has a generic profile picture or no profile picture at all
If you see any of these red flags, you should walk away from the deal. You don’t want to be scammed, so you need to be on the lookout for these signs.
Install a scam detector app
One way to ensure that you aren’t being scammed on Facebook Marketplace is to install a scam detector app. These apps let you know any time a user is trying to scam you. We recommend apps like Protecter and Web Crasher. These apps are easy to install, and they’re designed to detect users who are trying to scam you.
Conclusion
There are many benefits of using social media apps like Facebook Marketplace as a user. However, there are also risks involved in these platforms.
With this article, we hope you understand why you need to be alert in order not to be scammed on these sites.
With that being said, there are also ways to avoid being scammed. Be sure to follow the advice we’ve provided above, and you will be well on your way to safely using Facebook Marketplace.
