How scammers use fake sales posts on Facebook

Which? found 10 identical posts on Facebook shared by different accounts, all claiming to be selling their late mother's vanity table in order to downsize and that they needed a quick sale.

The majority of these posts came from different Facebook accounts and were posted in various local and community groups across the country. The posts are designed to lure you in to take your money and leave you with nothing in return.

Read on to find out more about these fake sales posts and how you can avoid these scams.

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Fake Facebook sales posts

The item was advertised in 10 posts for between £65 and £85. Each post linked back to another post on Facebook Marketplace.

We found one buyer who said that when they contacted the 'seller' about the item, they were told that there had been lots of interest in it. They were asked to make a deposit to secure it, but when the buyer arrived at the given address to collect the item, they discovered it didn't exist. 

Which? has previously warned about fraudsters using Facebook groups to make attention-seeking posts, such as appeals to trace missing people which are later changed to promote a dubious investment scheme once the post has been shared enough times.

Spotting scam posts on Facebook

Like a wolf in sheep's clothing, fraudsters infiltrate community and common interest groups on social media to peddle their scams and dodgy schemes. Sometimes, these posts will come from hacked accounts.

If you see someone offering an item for sale in a Facebook group, you should pause and carry out some basic checks before engaging with the post. 

Always be wary of:

• An item with a price that looks too good to be true.
• An item being posted in a Facebook group that has nothing to do with the group’s subject matter.
• An item being sold that comes with a long backstory. Sometimes scammers will include an emotive story about their family member to make their posts more enticing.

If you are unsure about a post, search on Facebook for keywords in the post, for example, we searched ‘mother’s vanity table’ and instantly found several other identical posts.

Reporting scam posts on Facebook

To report a post, page or profile on Facebook, select the three dots in the top right corner and select ‘Report’.

You can also report listings on items posted on Facebook Marketplace by selecting the three dots on the right of the post, pressing ‘Report listing’ and then ‘Scam’.

If you lose any money to a scam, call your bank immediately using the number on the back of your bank card and report it to Action Fraud, or call the police on 101 if you’re in Scotland.