Facebook Marketplace Scams: How to Buy and Sell Safely

Short answer: most Facebook Marketplace scams come down to a few repeatable tricks. Once you know them, the warning signs are obvious — a "buyer" who overpays, a seller who needs a deposit, or anyone who pushes you off Marketplace to text or Zelle.

Marketplace itself is fine. The danger is in how the deal is steered. Here's a field guide to the scams that show up most, split by whether you're selling or buying.

Quick rule: Meet in person, pay or get paid only at handoff, and never send a verification code or a "deposit." If a stranger needs you to move fast or move off-platform, slow down.

In this guide

• Scams when you're selling
• Scams when you're buying
• The Google Voice code trick
• The overpayment refund trap
• General red flags
• How to buy and sell safely
• If you already got scammed
• Check a sketchy buyer or seller
• FAQ

Scams when you're selling

• The "is it still available?" bot blast. Generic instant messages that quickly pivot to "I'll have my mover/shipper pick it up, just send your details." It's harvesting your info, not buying your couch.
• Overpayment. A buyer "accidentally" sends too much (often via a faked Zelle or PayPal email) and asks you to refund the difference. The original payment never clears.
• Fake payment screenshots. They show you a screenshot of a "sent" payment or a "pending — release by sending a code" email. Real payments land in your account; screenshots prove nothing.
• The Google Voice code. A "buyer" asks you to verify you're real by reading back a code they just texted you. That code hijacks a phone number in your name (more below).
• Shipping insistence. A local listing suddenly "must ship" through a link they send. The link is a phishing page, or the goods are never collected and you're out the item.

Scams when you're buying

• The deposit/hold. A great listing (apartment, car, console, puppy) requires a deposit "to hold it" before you can see it. Pay and the seller vanishes. The apartment rental scam and puppy scam work the same way.
• Too-good-to-be-true pricing. A nearly-new item at a fraction of its price, with a reason you must act now.
• Off-platform payment only. The seller refuses to meet and insists on Zelle, Cash App, gift cards, or crypto up front — all irreversible. See Venmo and Zelle scams.
• Empty-box / bait-and-switch. Photos show the real item; what you receive (or see at pickup) is a knockoff, a broken unit, or an empty box.

The Google Voice code trick

This one catches sellers off guard because it sounds like a safety step.

Hi! Sorry, there are a lot of scammers on here. I'm going to send
a code to your number — can you read it back so I know you're real?

There is no "verify you're a real seller" code. What's actually happening: the scammer is creating a Google Voice (or similar) number tied to your phone number, and the code they texted is the verification step. Read it back and they now control a number registered to you, which they'll use to run scams on other people.

Never share a code anyone texts or asks you to read. We cover the standalone version of this in the Google Voice verification code scam.

The overpayment refund trap

The overpayment scam relies on a fake "money received" email and on the gap between when a payment looks sent and when it actually clears.

1. You agree to sell for, say, $200.
2. The "buyer" sends a screenshot or spoofed email showing $500 sent — "oops, wrong amount."
3. They ask you to refund the extra $300 to a different account.
4. You send the $300. The original $500 never arrives, or reverses.

The refund you send is real and irreversible; the payment you "received" was never there. Never refund an overpayment — cancel the deal instead.

General red flags

• The other person pushes to move off Marketplace to text, WhatsApp, or email fast.
• Any request for a verification code, a deposit, or an overpayment refund.
• Payment only by irreversible methods (Zelle, Cash App, gift cards, crypto, wire).
• A brand-new or near-empty profile, or one with no local activity.
• Pressure: "another buyer is interested," "I need to ship today."

How to buy and sell safely

1. Keep chat on Marketplace. Scammers want you on text or WhatsApp where there's no record and no platform protection.
2. Meet in person for local deals, ideally in a public, well-lit spot or a police-station "safe exchange" zone, in daylight.
3. Exchange money at handoff. Cash, or a payment you confirm has actually landed in your own app before you let go of the item.
4. Never send a code or a deposit. No legitimate buyer or seller needs either.
5. Verify the payment yourself. Open your banking or payment app directly — don't trust a screenshot or an email saying funds are "pending."
6. Trust the profile, not the pitch. Thin profiles and stock photos are warning signs.

If you already got scammed

1. Report the buyer/seller and listing to Facebook so the account can be actioned.
2. Contact your payment provider immediately. Card payments may be disputable; Zelle, Cash App, and wires usually are not, but report anyway and ask.
3. If you shared a verification code, secure the affected account and check whether a number was registered in your name.
4. Report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and keep all screenshots.

Check a sketchy buyer or seller

If a Marketplace conversation feels off — a too-eager buyer, a deposit demand, a "verify with this code" message — you don't have to make the call alone. Screenshot the chat and send it to FraudRoom at check@fraudroom.com for a quick, plain-English read on whether it's a scam and what to do next.

FAQ

Why does a Facebook Marketplace buyer want my phone number?

Often to move you off-platform or to run the Google Voice code scam. You don't need to share your number to sell something — keep the conversation in Marketplace chat and meet in person.

Is it safe to ship an item I sold on Marketplace?

Local Marketplace deals are meant to be in person. If a "local" buyer suddenly insists on shipping through a link they provide, treat it as a scam. If you do ship, use a tracked, insured method and confirm payment has truly cleared first.

A buyer sent more money than the price and wants a refund. What do I do?

Don't refund anything. This is the overpayment scam — the original payment is fake or will reverse, and your refund is real. Cancel the sale.

Are deposits to "hold" a Marketplace item ever legitimate?

For private local sales, almost never. Deposit-to-hold requests are a classic vanishing-seller scam, especially for rentals, vehicles, and pets. See the item in person before any money changes hands.

Key takeaways

• Most Marketplace scams are a handful of repeatable tricks — learn them and the signs are obvious.
• Never send a verification code, a deposit, or an overpayment refund.
• Keep chat on-platform, meet in person, and confirm payment actually landed before handing anything over.
• Screenshots and "pending" emails are not proof of payment.

Related reading

• Venmo and Zelle scams: how to avoid getting burned
• The Google Voice verification code scam
• Facebook Messenger scams and account takeovers