Facebook Marketplace scams, and the tell for each one

Nearly every Facebook Marketplace scam is a variation on one move: get money or a code out of you before you are standing next to the item with the seller. The tell is always the same, a reason you should pay, send, or confirm something first. Here are the versions that show up every week, who they target, the tell for each, and the one rule that beats all of them.

The rule

Nothing leaves your hands until you are in front of the item and the person: no deposit, no code, no "fee", no shipping payment to a stranger. Pay cash in person, or through Facebook's own checkout if the item ships. A seller or buyer who cannot work with that rule has told you what they are.

Scams aimed at buyers

The deposit to hold it. The listing is priced to make you hurry. The seller has "lots of interest" and will hold it for a Zelle, Venmo or Cash App deposit. The item does not exist, or is not theirs. Tell: any request for money before you have seen it. No real seller holds a couch for a stranger's $50.

The shipping scam. The seller is "out of town" or "in the military" and will ship it after you pay through an app or a link. Tell: shipping offered outside Facebook's checkout. If an item ships, it goes through Marketplace's checkout with Purchase Protection, or it does not ship.

The too-good-to-be-true price with a story. A $1,200 generator for $250 because "my brother passed" or "we're moving Friday." Tell: the price plus a reason to hurry. The photos are often lifted from a retailer or another listing; search the image.

The rental version. An apartment or house listed below the going rate, a landlord who is "overseas," a deposit before a viewing. Tell: any money before you have been inside with keys in someone's hand.

The car version. A clean truck under market, a seller who wants to use an "escrow service" or "eBay Motors" to ship it, or who sends a vehicle history link you have to pay for. Tell: any transaction that is not you, the seller, the title and the truck in one place. Our used truck guide covers title washing and VIN checks.

The phishing link. A message with a link to "verify" your account, "see more photos," or "complete the purchase." Tell: it leaves Facebook. Do not tap links in Marketplace messages.

The QR code. A seller sends a QR code to "pay through the app." It opens a payment or a login page they control. Tell: a QR code for anything at all.

Scams aimed at sellers

The verification-code scam. The "buyer" says they want to make sure you are real and will text you a code; read it back to them. The code is a Google Voice (or other service) verification sent to your number. Reading it back lets them open a Google Voice number tied to your phone and run their own scams under it. Tell: anyone asking for a code that was sent to you. Never read a code to anyone, ever.

The overpayment. The buyer sends more than the price "by mistake" or to cover a "mover" and asks you to send the difference. The original payment is fake, reversed or a bounced check; the refund you sent is real. Tell: any request to send money back. Decline, ask for the exact amount, and watch them vanish.

The fake payment screenshot. The buyer sends a screenshot of a Zelle or Venmo payment and asks you to hand over the item or ship it. The screenshot is edited. Tell: no money in your own app's balance. Trust the app, never the picture.

The Zelle "business account" fee. After a fake payment, an email that looks like it is from Zelle says the money is held until you upgrade to a business account or the buyer pays a fee, and would you cover it. Tell: a payment app asking you to send money to receive money. They never do.

The "my husband will pick it up" courier. The buyer pays by check or app, overpays, and sends a mover you have to pay. Overpayment in a costume.

The bot swarm. A new listing gets five messages in a minute asking "is this available" and then asking for your phone number. The phone number is the point; it feeds the verification-code scam. Keep the conversation in Messenger.

Where Purchase Protection applies and where it does not

Facebook's Purchase Protection covers shipped orders paid through Facebook's own checkout, for items that never arrive, arrive damaged, or are not as described, subject to Facebook's limits and deadlines. It does not cover local pickup, cash, or anything paid through Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, a bank transfer or a link a seller sent, and it excludes vehicles and some categories. For local deals, which is most of Marketplace, you are the protection. Read Facebook's own Purchase Protection page for the current terms before relying on it.

Meeting safely

Daylight, a public place (many police departments mark a lot for exactly this), a friend along, cash counted before you leave, the item tested before you pay. For big-ticket items, the bank, together. Our buying guides for dirt bikes, four-wheelers, motorcycles, trucks and tools each cover the checks for that item.

Why scams catch people who know better

Speed. The good listings go in an hour, so buyers message fast and think later, and scammers price their fakes to trigger exactly that. The honest cure is the same thing that gets you the real deals: hearing about the listing early enough that you do not have to rush. Deal Scanner watches Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp and Craigslist for your search and buzzes your phone when a listing is posted, with the time we found it and a Deal Score that says how far under the typical price near you it sits. A real bargain scores well; the $250 generator scores like a scam. $3.99 a month for three searches, cancel anytime.

FAQ

What is the most common Facebook Marketplace scam?

For buyers, the deposit to hold an item that does not exist. For sellers, the verification-code scam, where a "buyer" asks you to read back a code texted to your phone.

Is it safe to pay with Zelle on Facebook Marketplace?

Only in person, after you have the item, and only to the person in front of you. Zelle payments cannot be reversed, and Facebook's Purchase Protection does not cover them.

What if a buyer asks for a verification code?

Never send one. The code is a Google Voice verification that lets them open a number tied to your phone. Stop replying and report the profile.

Does Facebook refund Marketplace scams?

Only for shipped orders paid through Facebook's checkout, under its Purchase Protection terms. Local pickup, cash and outside payment apps are not covered.

How do I report a Marketplace scam?

Report the listing or the profile inside Facebook, and report the fraud to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you sent money, contact your bank or the payment app at once.

Sources checked

Facebook's Marketplace help and Purchase Protection pages; the FTC's consumer guidance on marketplace and verification-code scams; our own Marketplace messages, which get every one of these weekly. Checked October 26, 2026.