Cops again warn residents of Facebook Marketplace scammers

Facebook Marketplace is a great way to sell your old items and make a few extra bucks. But it can also be a dangerous place and a scammer is never far away.

The Krugersdorp police have become concerned about Facebook scams after a number of fraud cases were opened at this police station recently.

Also read: Concerns over the Facebook Marketplace, police warns

Captain Raymond Sebonyane from the Krugersdorp police said in recent cases people had bought motor vehicles on Facebook, paid the deposit and then never received the vehicle.

Sebonyane said whether you are trying to get rid of old junk, make some extra money or pick up an awesome find at a discounted price you should be careful as some people are ready to rob you.

Some people love to cause drama and will try to ruin your good name as a seller.”

For this reason the Krugersdorp police have put together some tips you can use to protect yourself:
• Always exchange at the same time – never give people an item and allow them to make payments later. Exchanging the money and the item at the same time is always your best bet.
• Do research about the seller.

What you can look out for:
• Does the person live in your area? If they are on a local scale page but do not live near you that’s a red flag.
• Do they have a lot of friends or just a few? Scammers tend to have either just a few friends, or many friends with names that sound made up.
• Do a quick reverse-image search on their profile picture. If it comes up as someone else, you know you are dealing with a scammer.
• No personal picture is a bad sign too. If their profile picture is of a car, flower or some inanimate object be wary, especially if they exhibit other characteristics of a scammer.

Remember never pay before you get what you ordered; make it cash on delivery.”