Ensuring Safety During Buying and Selling on Facebook Marketplace

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – While you’re spring cleaning, you’re likely finding some things you want to get rid of. But before you post it online to sell on places like Facebook Marketplace, or you see something you want to buy yourself, there are a few reminders.

People buy all kinds of stuff from their neighbors on Facebook.

“I actually bought a car on marketplace,” said Michelle Concha.

And while buying a car from a stranger might not typically be recommended, Concha had done her homework.

“Because we had people in common in the area, I felt actually more secure about buying the car from that person,” she said.

But along with getting a good deal using social media, you can also get scammed.

Consumers have lost more than $2.7 billion to social media scams since 2021. Some scammers lurking on Facebook Marketplace aren’t after your money they want your data.

Tip number one: Never share personal information like your address, email or phone number. Only communicate through Facebook Messenger.

Tip number two: Think about where the sale will take place. Meet in a public, well-lit area, and never give away your home address. Consider a police station. Some even have designated parking spots where marketplace meet-ups are watched by security cameras.

Tip number three: Never exchange cash. Facebook Marketplace recommends a secure person-to-person payment method. But even with those, Consumer Reports says you should still take care to prevent payment mistakes.

“You always want to make sure that you’re sending money to the right person before you send the full amount. So here’s one tip. Send a one-dollar test payment first, then make sure that that person received it,” said Lisa Gill with Consumer Reports.

And for large purchases, something like that car Michelle bought, pay the old-fashioned way and get a cashier’s check.

One other warning about secondhand sales: Consumer Reports says do not buy a used infant or child car seat. You won’t know if the seat has been involved in a crash. And if the labels and instructions aren’t available, you can’t easily check for recalls or the seat’s expiration date.