How to spot a scammer on Facebook: Tips for Christmas shoppers from Bay women who encountered dodgy sellers

With Christmas around the corner and the cost of living squeezing household budgets, gift-hunters may turn to Facebook Marketplace or buy/sell pages hoping for a bargain. But how can they be sure the seller is genuine and not a Grinch? Reporter Harriet Laughton speaks to two Bay of Plenty women who encountered scammers, and finds expert advice for how shoppers on social media can spot dodgy deals.

When strangers started turning up on the doorstep last December asking for their Facebook purchases, Cheryl Bond’s mother-in-law was confused — she was not selling anything.

Little did she know, a scammer from Canada was posing online as a New Zealander living at her Rotorua address.

Bond, from Tauranga, did some digging. She found the Facebook profile had American-type products for sale including “a snowmobile - in Rotorua” - plus big bouncy castles and appliances with prices “too good to be true.

“I raised awareness of it on three Rotorua-based community boards and asked people to private message me if it was my mother-in-law’s address.

“From there I was able to track the profile and find that she was from Canada with a New Zealand bank account.”

She reported the page to Facebook and it was taken down.

Bond said people were more susceptible to scams at Christmas as they were looking to buy more products.

“It’s a really vulnerable time for people,” said Bond.

“Unfortunately, the hardship out there meant people were looking for a bargain.”

Prices such as $200 for a lounge suite were “just enough to be attractive”, but closer inspection of the profile showed multiple suites for sale with photos clearly taken at different houses — inconsistent with being the seller’s household goods.

Bond said three or four people turned up at her mother-in-law’s doorstep. Some had paid up-front and she was grateful the situations did not turn nasty.

Cheryl Bond discovered a scammer in Canada was using her mother-in-law's home address in Rotorua to trick buyers. Photo / Alex Cairns

“People could have thought she was lying and become aggressive or upset, it was really worrying.”

She said buyer awareness was “so important” and people should “slow down” and not succumb to impulse buying.

“Is the seller new to Facebook? Check the profile and carefully look at the photos to see if they’re all consistent, pay on pick-up, take someone with you and do your research.”

Scam listings on the rise online - police

Police said these kinds of scams were on the rise, with people advertising items for sale they had no intention of giving the buyer.

“Once a deposit is received, the seller ceases all communication with the purchaser.”

Police said shoppers should “be vigilant” online, especially when buying through social media sites or unverified websites.

“There is a lot of risk involved in making a purchase from someone who you have not verified the identity of.”

Online safety charity Netsafe said on its website that Facebook buy/sell pages carried risks for buyers as they were run by users and not moderated by Facebook.

Buy/sell pages on Facebook are often popular in communities but buyers need to be vigilant. Photo / 123rf

Platforms set up for trading, such as Trade Me, however, had measures to protect buyers and sellers.

Netsafe received “regular” reports of genuine Facebook listings being copied and reused by scammers.

It advised anyone who found a copied listing to report it to the host platform. They could also consider putting a warning on their legitimate listing or calling out the fake listing in its comments or questions.

Vehicle listings were an especially common target “as scammers can more convincingly request a larger sum be sent”.

When a scammer copies your listing

Tauranga teacher Shannon, who asked that her surname not be used, was shocked to find her Facebook Marketplace listing selling her mother’s car copied and relisted by a scammer for $3000 less.

She said the scammer used the same photos and description from her original post.

A car dealer alerted her to the phoney listing after trying to buy the vehicle from the scammer. He “saw straight through it” after being asked to make a deposit before viewing the vehicle.

“I tried to message [the scammer] and say, [take] this down or I’m going to the police but he just blocked me,” Shannon said.

She said she reported the issue to Facebook several times and posted a warning on her local community buy-sell page after the seller posted the car there.

Shoppers need to be vigilant when buying through social media. Photo / 123rf

“I did everything I could to try to warn people,” she said. “I just hope no one gave them money.”

Shannon said she had been caught out by similar schemes in the past and had learned never to transfer anyone money until she had the item.

“I think it’s too easy to be a scammer on Marketplace,” she said. “Thankfully it didn’t affect us but I tried to spread the word so it wouldn’t affect others.”

In addition to fraud prevention, detection and removal processes, such as encouraging users to report suspected scams or fake profiles, Facebook parent company Meta has worked with groups such as Netsafe on campaigns to educate Kiwis about online scammers.

These included checknetsafe.nz, a new website that checks if a website address is associated with scams, and 2021′s SCAM Gallery of the most common online scams and how to avoid them.

Popular tactics used by scammers were claiming to sell products they did not have, charging top prices for low-quality items, and stealing images from real companies or people to sell the ruse.

Six tips for spotting a scammer on Facebook

1. Few friends? If the profile seems new or incomplete, this could be a sign it was set up for scamming.
2. Check the seller’s profile including ratings and reviews from previous buyers, Marketplace activity and other listings for red flags.
3. Confirm the existence and ownership of the item in person or, in a pinch, over a video chat before paying.
4. Use payment options that include strong protections, such as PayPal.
5. Double-check deals that seem too good to be true. Scammers may use under-priced items to lure buyers.
6. If the item must be posted, request tracked shipping and verify the number on the delivery company website.

• Sources: Facebook, Netsafe