In some in-person transactions, some buyers may pay you with fake currency notes. In such cases, it is necessary to cross-check if the currency is legitimate.
Hence, it has been advised to purchase products from a reliable or known retailer. On the contrary, although PayPal is an approved payment gateway in the Facebook Marketplace, it does not cover the payment done by the “friends and family option.”
What is a PayPal scam?
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With the enormous increase in digitalisation and smartphones has spiked the number of online crimes across the globe. Meta, being one of the world’s largest used social media has attracted a mass number of fraudsters who daily discover ways to scam social media users. As of 2024, one of the biggest scams reported is the Facebook Paypal scam that is done via the marketplace. If you are also a regular user of the Facebook marketplace and are worried about getting scammed, don’t worry. In this article, we have mentioned the PayPal Facebook market scams and every possible way to avoid them.
Is PayPal Safe for Facebook Marketplace?
In the scam, the scammer utilises the user’s trust for PayPal and asks them to click on a link that redirects them to a page which is a fraudulent website; however, it looks the same as Paypal’s page. The website then asks for personal information such as bank accounts or credit card details and sends a phishing email detailing the fake fees. Following a user enters their credit card information, and clicks on pay, the money goes to the fraud’s bank account.
A PayPal scam on Facebook is a fraud that has been reported which involves tricking or deceiving users into sending money or personal information including banking information to users. The scam initiates with a fraudulent or scammer sending messages along with a PayPal request.
If you have purchased something from a marketplace, for instance, a hardware item, make sure that you have cross-checked it before accepting the parcel.
The scammers use a page that mirrors PayPal which makes you believe that they have initiated payment for the item they are selling. However, on the contrary, it is a fake payment screenshot and no transfer has been made as such. In such cases, it has been advised. Additionally, double-check your accounts to confirm the money
- It is necessary to accept friend requests or DM’s from individuals you know in real life. If you have added a stranger, make sure not to share any personal information that may involve your contact details, or bank account information among others.
- Imagine claiming to be a representative, and a fraud call from PayPal comes that asks for your banking information, your password, or other sensitive information. In such instances, you should be aware that it is a fraud call since PayPal representatives never ask for your details.
- When a user asks to buy something without acknowledging the product or its information it means the user is not legitimate and is a potential fraud.
- Additionally, do not accept payment requests sent via the “friends and family” In the friends and family payment does not come under Paypal policy nor Facebook’s Purchase Protection policies.
What Are the Scamming Ways Practised in the Facebook Marketplace?
1. Deceived Payment Confirmations
However, following the surge in Internet crimes, Meta has become one of the largest marketplaces for scams and fraudulent reports.
3. Rental Scams
While Paypal and other scammers are everywhere on Meta, it convinces unwitting users to send them money and other sensitive information. Although notorious scammers are hard to recognise, here are the common signs you might find under the Facebook marketplace scams,
4. Stolen Goods
After buying something on the Facebook marketplace, the transaction will be conducted on social media. After meeting in a neutral place, exchange goods and cash, and that’s it.
Unfortunately, scammers can easily practise fraud by selling standard products and later running away with your money. And if you have made the payment through the “Friends and Family” section, you will be left helpless as it neither comes under the Paypal policy nor Facebook’s Purchase Protection policies.
5. Receiving Used or Destroyed Items
A scammer, in the Facebook marketplace, posts a rental property that isn’t available. Not only this but the scammer might provide a legitimate-looking link and it will also redirect you to a mirrored site of an original property listing website. Following, you will be asked to mention the payment details for rent or deposit.
Along with a growth in digitalisation, we can see a spike in scammers and fraudulent attacks. Online or internet scammers trick or cheat users into sharing sensitive information, and eventually the users end up losing their money. While there are a plethora of scams ongoing, the most commonly reported are the PayPal scam on Facebook, extracting money through fraudulent offer calls, or phishing through deceiving a user’s acquaintance. In this article, we have discussed what the Paypal scam is, how to spot it, and what are the ways to protect yourself from it.
Following this, your data may get in the wrong hands. The scammers then sell it which is then used to deceive identity.
How to Report a Facebook Marketplace Scam?
While many sellers attempt to steal your data in several ways, you will be receiving a fake link that will ask you to verify your identity and can encourage you to provide sensitive information including your date of birth and address.
