Facebook Marketplace Scams in Australia: How to Buy and Sell Safely

Facebook Marketplace is one of the easiest ways to sell the bits and pieces around the house, or to pick up something secondhand without paying full price. Most people on there are genuine Australians doing exactly that. A few are not, and they have got cleverer.

The catch with Marketplace is that there is no built-in payment protection like you might get when paying by card on a shopping website. When money moves, it moves directly between two strangers. That is fine once you know the handful of tricks to watch for, which is what this guide is about. You can keep using it with confidence, whether you are buying or selling. This is one piece of a bigger picture, so it is worth reading our full guide to staying safe online as well.

Scams that target buyers

The most common one is simple. You pay a deposit or the full amount for something, often to “hold it” or because the seller cannot meet in person, and then the item never arrives, or it turns up broken or nothing like the photos. The seller goes quiet, or blocks you, and the listing vanishes. Scammers sometimes use a real person’s address in the advert to look genuine, so the photos and details check out even when the seller does not.

The signs are a price that seems too good, a seller pushing you to pay quickly before someone else does, and any reason you cannot simply meet and look at the item first. A brand-new Facebook profile with no photo and no history is another quiet warning.

Scams that target sellers

Selling has its own traps, and a couple of them are worth knowing by name.

The fake Australia Post payment link

A keen buyer says they cannot collect, so they will arrange courier and pay through Australia Post. They send a link that looks just like the real Australia Post site, showing your money sitting there ready to claim. To “release” it, the page asks you to log in with your bank details. It is fake. Australia Post does not handle payments between buyers and sellers like this. Hand over your details and the scammers can start helping themselves to your account, sometimes in small regular amounts you might not notice for a while.

The overpayment trick

A buyer claims to have paid too much by mistake and asks you to refund the difference. Only scammers overpay. The original payment is often fake or made with a stolen card, so it gets reversed later, and the “refund” you sent is real money gone for good. If anyone overpays, do not return anything. Ask them to send the correct amount instead.

The verification code request

A buyer says they want to check you are a real person, so they will send a code to your phone that you read back to them. Do not. That code is being used to set up an account in your name. No genuine buyer needs a code from your phone to buy your old bookshelf.

The red flags

How to buy and sell safely

The safest deals are the local, in-person ones. Meet somewhere public and busy, look at the item, and pay or be paid on the spot. Cash is simplest. If you are using a bank transfer, do not rely on a screenshot of payment, because those are easy to fake. Log in to your own banking and check the money has actually arrived before the item leaves your hands.

When you pay someone by bank transfer, use Confirmation of Payee, the name-check your bank now shows. Type in the name of the person you think you are paying, and if the bank says it is not a match, stop and think hard about whether you really know who is on the other end. Keep all your messages inside Facebook, never click links a buyer or seller sends, and share only what is needed to do the deal. For the wider habits that keep online shopping safe, see our guide to safe online shopping for seniors.

If something has gone wrong

If you have paid and the item has not come, or you handed over bank details, ring your bank straight away on the number on your card. The faster you call, the better the chance of limiting the damage. Then report the seller’s profile inside Facebook, and report the scam to Scamwatch online at scamwatch.gov.au. If you have lost money to online fraud, you can also report it to ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au, which goes to police. For tips on keeping your accounts locked down afterwards, our guide on online banking safety is a good next read.