Though it might feel as easy as placing an online order at any major retailer, scammers can hide behind fake profiles or deceptive ads to take advantage of others.
BBB of Dayton and Miami Valley Vice President of Communication Sherri Sword said there are a few things people can look out for while searching Facebook Marketplace.
“Avoid any deals that are involving shipping or escrow services,” she said. “Those can be very problematic. And do some digging before you reshare a post on your profile if you see something that looks good.”
If a profile based in Florida has a post shared in a group based on the opposite side of the country, that’s a red flag, Sword said.
“Find out when the poster created that Facebook profile,” she added. “Scammers usually create new profiles when their old ones got banned because they’ve been found out.”
Also look out for posts with typos or profiles that turned the comments off. Some scammers don’t allow comments so others can’t share their bad experience with the profile.
Sword also suggested doing a reverse image of the for-sale item on Google. If the same image shows up on other websites, that can also be a red flag.
More expensive items, such as vehicles, also tend to attract more scammers.
If you feel good about a buyer or seller, Sword suggested meeting them in a public place with plenty of traffic and people who can be aware of what is happening.
“There are many police departments now or municipalities that have Facebook Marketplace trade places,” she said. “So you can be somewhere where someone’s going to be able to watch you actually go through and make that transfer of the product and the money.”
Dayton has four safe exchange zones outside police departments where people can meet up to sell or exchange items.
They’re located at:
- 951 Washington St.
- 417 E. Helena St.
- 2721 Wayne Ave.
- 248 Salem Ave.
An 18-year-old was recently charged with five counts of aggravated robbery in Dayton Municipal Court in connection to robberies involving Facebook Marketplace.
Multiple people told Dayton police a suspect lured them to Elmwood Avenue after using Facebook Marketplace to purchase or trade for an Xbox. The suspect would then use a firearm and demand money or the trade item, an affidavit stated.
Two of the victims identified the suspect as Ashton LJ Brooks in a photo lineup, according to court records.
“Brooks was arrested and confessed to four of five aggravated robberies,” an affidavit read. “Digital evidence links him to all five.”
Investigators reportedly found a loaded gun at his Iroquois Avenue residence.
He is being held in the Montgomery County Jail. Brooks’ bond was set at $100,000 during a court appearance Monday.
If you are the victim of a Facebook Marketplace scam, contact your local police department and reach out to Facebook so they can shut down the profile.
You can also www.bbb.org/scamtracker to report it to the BBB’s scam tracker.
From Jan. 1, 2024, to Jan. 13, 2025, there were 339 scams reported to the scam tracker in Ohio that mention Facebook Marketplace, including one in the Dayton and Miami Valley region, Sword said.
“Facebook Marketplace is a great place to get those great deals,” she said. “You just have to watch out for the warning signs before handing over your money.”
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