How to spot and avoid scams on Facebook Marketplace

Most people on Facebook Marketplace are exactly who they say they are. But every buyer who sticks around long enough meets the other kind. The good news: scams are repetitive. The same six tricks make up nearly all of them, and each one has a tell.

1. The deposit hold

“Lots of interest — send $50 and I'll hold it for you.” This is the most common scam on Marketplace, and it works because it sounds reasonable. It isn't. A real seller holds an item with words, or sells to whoever shows up first. Never send money before you're standing in front of the item. No exceptions, no matter how good the deal.

2. The verification code

“Just to make sure you're real, I sent a code to your phone — read it back to me.” That code is a login or account-recovery code for your phone number. Reading it back hands over your Google Voice, email or even bank account. Nobody legitimate will ever ask you to read a code to them. Ever.

3. The fake payment screenshot

On the selling side: a “buyer” shows you a screenshot of a payment that never arrived, or pays with a reversible method and disputes it later. Screenshots are free to fake. Only trust the balance inside your own app, after a refresh, and prefer cash or an in-person transfer you watch complete.

4. The too-good listing

A $2,000 laptop for $300, stock photos, a one-week-old profile, and a seller who wants to move the chat to WhatsApp or email. Some version of this ends with a courier fee, a shipping payment, or a deposit. Real local sellers meet locally and don't need your email. A price far below every comparable listing is not a deal signal — it's the bait.

5. The switched or broken item

Not always a scam, sometimes just optimism — either way, the fix is the same: test before you pay. Bring a charger, a game disc, a laptop for drives, the right cable. Power it on, check the exact model number against the listing, look for water damage. A seller who won't let you test has answered your question.

6. The unsafe meetup

Rare, but worth taking seriously. Meet in daylight, in public — many police stations have marked safe-exchange parking. For big items you must collect from a home, bring someone and share your location with a friend. Carry only the cash you plan to spend.

The habits that make you scam-proof

• No money leaves your hands until the item is in them.
• No codes, no links, no moving the chat off Marketplace.
• Test everything, every time, even when it's awkward.
• Check the profile: account age, other listings, mutual activity.
• If the story, price and photos don't add up, walk. There's always another listing.

SnagSonar helps on the listing side: a Hide scam signs filter catches the classic tells (stock photos patterns, off-platform contact requests, prices far below every comparable), and each car listing can include a free VIN check so the vehicle's history is real before you drive out. But the final defense is the habits above — they cost nothing and they work.