Close Menu
Best in TechnologyBest in Technology
  • News
  • Phones
  • Laptops
  • Gadgets
  • Gaming
  • AI
  • Tips
  • More
    • Web Stories
    • Global
    • Press Release

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest tech news and updates directly to your inbox.

What's On

China Turns Legacy Chips Into a Trade Weapon

18 September 2025

Anti-Trump Protesters Take Aim at ‘Naive’ US-UK AI Deal

18 September 2025

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Review – A New Dimension of Kart Racing

18 September 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Just In
  • China Turns Legacy Chips Into a Trade Weapon
  • Anti-Trump Protesters Take Aim at ‘Naive’ US-UK AI Deal
  • Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Review – A New Dimension of Kart Racing
  • Review: Auk Mini
  • Cybercriminals Have a Weird New Way to Target You With Scam Texts
  • The Home Depot Deals During the 2025 Decor Days Event
  • Meta’s New Smart Glasses Got a Subtle Name Change. It Speaks Volumes About What’s Wrong With Them
  • A Collision With Another Planet Could Have Allowed for Life on Earth
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest Vimeo
Best in TechnologyBest in Technology
  • News
  • Phones
  • Laptops
  • Gadgets
  • Gaming
  • AI
  • Tips
  • More
    • Web Stories
    • Global
    • Press Release
Subscribe
Best in TechnologyBest in Technology
Home » Scammers Are Ruining Facebook Marketplace
News

Scammers Are Ruining Facebook Marketplace

News RoomBy News Room22 December 20233 Mins Read
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Reddit Telegram Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

Some scams encourage people to upgrade their Zelle accounts to a business tier to receive money from a buyer, according to the Better Business Bureau, and come from emails mimicking Zelle, but with different domains. That upgrade appears to cost $300, and the buyer promises to send it if the seller will then refund it. The catch: the $300 was never sent and appeared only in faked screenshots or emails. So, when the seller sends $300, they’re really just losing the money.

Zelle’s website notes that it will send emails only from domains ending in @zelle.com and @zellepay.com, and any others could be scams. The company did not answer more specific questions about Facebook Marketplace scams, citing an effort to keep intel from fraudsters.

Other scammers use Google Voice, asking people for their verification code—all under the guise of verifying that the person isn’t a scammer. But with that code, a scammer can then create a Google Voice number using the victim’s phone number, which helps them to conceal their identity for future scams. Additionally, it can help them impersonate someone and get access to their accounts, according to the US Federal Trade Commission. When asked for comment on Facebook Marketplace scams, Google pointed to guidance it posts for people to not share their verification codes, and the company has ways for people to reclaim stolen Google Voice numbers.

Experts say the constant evolving nature of scams makes them tricky for companies to defeat. “It’s a giant game of whack-a-mole,” says Zulfikar Ramzan, chief scientist with digital security company Aura. “They change something about the way they’ve done a scam. It’s really difficult for any organization to keep up with that volume at scale.”

Meta has continued to grow Facebook Marketplace even as scams linger. A 2022 ProPublica investigation found that Facebook Marketplace scams had run rampant and that the company was potentially understaffed to a degree that impeded its ability to stop scammers. In addition to in-house workers, Meta had contracted 400 Accenture workers around the world and gave each person more than 600 complaints or requests for help to process each day. Even worse, ProPublica found a number of alleged armed robberies and murders had occurred in relation to Facebook Marketplace meetups. Meta, Facebook’s parent company, did not answer questions about how it monitors scams now and the information in the ProPublica investigation.

Facebook Marketplace has evolved to more than just selling in the neighborhood. There are options to ship products after a sale, and some small shops have used the platform to grow their business. All of these different types of transactions bring different concerns about scams. Marketplace offers purchase protection, but it doesn’t cover payments made through third-party sites like Zelle, items picked up locally, or transactions conducted through Facebook Messenger.

I lost track of the number of people who seemed eager to scam me—I reported lots of scammers and then left chats, which disappeared. A few people may have been legitimately interested but dropped off early in the conversation. In the end, the frustration wasn’t worth the cash. I’m stuck with this couch, and there’s only one solution left. I’m heading over to another side of Facebook entirely: Buy Nothing.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Previous ArticleAI’s World-Ending Capabilities Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
Next Article The 5 most disappointing movies of 2023

Related Articles

News

China Turns Legacy Chips Into a Trade Weapon

18 September 2025
News

Anti-Trump Protesters Take Aim at ‘Naive’ US-UK AI Deal

18 September 2025
News

Review: Auk Mini

18 September 2025
News

Cybercriminals Have a Weird New Way to Target You With Scam Texts

18 September 2025
News

The Home Depot Deals During the 2025 Decor Days Event

18 September 2025
News

Meta’s New Smart Glasses Got a Subtle Name Change. It Speaks Volumes About What’s Wrong With Them

18 September 2025
Demo
Top Articles

ChatGPT o1 vs. o1-mini vs. 4o: Which should you use?

15 December 2024105 Views

Costco partners with Electric Era to bring back EV charging in the U.S.

28 October 202495 Views

5 laptops to buy instead of the M4 MacBook Pro

17 November 202492 Views

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest tech news and updates directly to your inbox.

Latest News
News

The Home Depot Deals During the 2025 Decor Days Event

News Room18 September 2025
News

Meta’s New Smart Glasses Got a Subtle Name Change. It Speaks Volumes About What’s Wrong With Them

News Room18 September 2025
News

A Collision With Another Planet Could Have Allowed for Life on Earth

News Room18 September 2025
Most Popular

The Spectacular Burnout of a Solar Panel Salesman

13 January 2025129 Views

ChatGPT o1 vs. o1-mini vs. 4o: Which should you use?

15 December 2024105 Views

Costco partners with Electric Era to bring back EV charging in the U.S.

28 October 202495 Views
Our Picks

Review: Auk Mini

18 September 2025

Cybercriminals Have a Weird New Way to Target You With Scam Texts

18 September 2025

The Home Depot Deals During the 2025 Decor Days Event

18 September 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest tech news and updates directly to your inbox.

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
© 2025 Best in Technology. All Rights Reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.