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Facebook Marketplace scam

43 replies

Cooperjay · 11/12/2021 20:41

Doing a lot of FB selling at the moment and dealing with the usual flakey messaging that goes nowhere.

Have had several messages of a similar type though and I'm wondering if anyone else has had this and whether it's a scam.

So within minutes after uploading a new item, I'll get a message saying something like 'hi, really interested in your XYZ. Can I just ask, is it similar to this? If so I'll buy'. This is then followed by a link to basically a list of search engine hits related to the item eg skateboard but a search engine I don't recognise? It doesn't link to a specific product. The first couple of times I replied saying 'sorry that link doesn't work but it's this one' then linking to the Amazon or Argos listing for it or similar. No reply. The third time it happened for another item when the brand and model was clearly on the listing, I got suspicious and didn't click the link or reply. I just can't understand how this scam works, if it is one? Does anyone know?

OP posts:
MastieMum · 11/12/2021 20:45

I don't know the answer but have had a similar message and the same thought occurred to me!

Coriandersucks · 11/12/2021 20:48

O had the exact same message - I was selling some shelves and they sent me links saying are they like these? I stupidly clicked on the links but it was just to a google search for shelves. I replied saying no they were from b&m and not heard anything since.

Ididanamechange · 11/12/2021 20:53

I had the same message for something im selling. I didn't open the link and just sent a link back with the one I'm selling. I've not had a reply...

Cooperjay · 11/12/2021 21:00

Oh interesting! Must be something then. I just can't work out what the aim is!

OP posts:
clarrylove · 11/12/2021 21:07

Had it here too. I blocked them.

Chimley · 11/12/2021 21:07

I had 3 identical messages for 3 different products so it was easy to see it was a scam. But why? I have no idea!

Nsws2015 · 11/12/2021 23:30

Numerous!!! Was everytime I listed something last week!! Always the same link in each message! I deleted them all in the end, took down my listing and relisted and 🤞 nothing so far!

Heidifish · 19/02/2022 19:01

Thanks for posting this I thought I was going mad had 3 today on 3 different items! Have reported and blocked! Hopefully nobody has had anything untoward happen after?

bigcheesematrix · 03/03/2022 19:37

Same thing happened to me today - I wonder what the scam is. Did anyone experience anything untoward afterwards?

Hangthetowels · 03/03/2022 20:10

Had the same thing happen to me - anyone googled this??

MinorWomensWhiplash1 · 03/03/2022 20:18

Same happened to me. Glad I didn’t click the link!

bigcheesematrix · 03/03/2022 21:47

I read up on it, apparently it's possibly an attempt to download a virus onto your device or to phish for your account information.
I noticed afterwards that a login to Facebook had taken place somewhere else in the country, so I changed my password and set up two factor authentication.
At the same time I got about 20 attempts to log in to my Microsoft account but luckily have an Authenticator app for that so they were all unsuccessful, none of the attempts got as far as the second authentication step though.
Made me paranoid as I have been a bit lazy with passwords recently so have been changing my passwords on anything financial.
I'm so annoyed at myself for clicking on the link - more than once!

xsquared · 08/03/2022 19:24

Didn't get the message you got OP or any links to click on but I had a potential scam today where the buyer offers to pay through UPS, therefore requiring my address, and then get TNT to collect the item.

I was hesitant and looked this up on Google, and lo and behold there's a reddit thread about it.

Of course I blocked and reported.

SourBitterSweet · 18/03/2022 17:08

I’ve just had this happen to me after many years of drama free marketplace buying and selling. I clicked on the links before becoming suspicious so I’m paranoid now. Also one just sent me a phone number, nothing else. Can’t find anything about this online, except this thread.

Bethlydia · 19/03/2022 22:58

Can I ask whether you've had anything bad happen since? I've just gone through the same thing.

Itsokay2020 · 03/04/2022 15:22

This is happening to me too, my daughter is simply selling some toys she has grown out of and every listing is followed by a spurious ‘buyer’ with these links… deleting every single one, but it never used to be like this 😬

Breadiemimi · 10/04/2022 15:26

It happened to me three times within three minutes once I posted an ad. But when I checked the click of my listing, showed 0, no oneConfused

P1ffdOv · 10/04/2022 15:32

Same happened to me

GeneLovesJezebel · 10/04/2022 15:34

I had this and it showed that the person asking the question was in India !
Anything like that gets deleted

GeneLovesJezebel · 10/04/2022 15:35

I’ve had a couple of people making silly offers, and one man being an absolute dick.
So I’m taking my stuff to the charity shop instead.

Georgeskitchen · 10/04/2022 16:05

Not sure but if it sounds dodgy I usually is

MrsSaltshaker · 10/04/2022 16:41

I had this within a couple of minutes of posting 2 items. I googled to see if it was a scam (found this thread before it was revived in March!) and then reported and blocked them. Have had no login attempts so maybe instant blocking is the way forward.

gullablegirl · 11/04/2022 08:04

I listed something on marketplace and got the same message and the private profile sent through two links, without think I clicked them both but nothing opened, or I wasn't patient enough. I reported the profile to facebook as fake and they came back with they found nothing wrong with it....should have the option to report scammer?

dreammattemousse · 11/04/2022 08:16

It is a scam
I block thyme straight away

dreammattemousse · 11/04/2022 08:16

Thyme??? Them haha