This common mistake could be costly, Facebook users warned

Apart from helping you stay connected with old friends, family and loved ones, Facebook also makes buying and selling quite conducive. Around this time of year when people may be looking to earn a few quids for Christmas presents that they may not like, police have issued a warning to Marketplace users to be on high alert for scammers.

Scam alert

Facebook users are being warned of one scam message in particular targeting people selling items on Marketplace. According to The Sun, the message often starts as a simple inquiry about the availability of the item you’re trying to sell. The supposed buyer then sends a message along these lines:

OK the price suits me. OK I buy. However I will make your payment via TNT Express delivery in an envelope as soon as you receive the money, i will send TNT to your home to collect.

The scammer asks for the victim to pay the insurance on an envelope carrying cash - promising to leave the additional amount in the envelope, so you're not out of pocket.

Aggressive tactics

If you continue to engage with the fraudster, they will ask for an email address to which they will send an email from a fake delivery firm, demanding that you deposit an insurance fee. For added authenticity, the scammers will include a bogus tracking number.

You lose the ‘insurance money’ when the delivery service fails to arrive. The police have been aware of this tactic for a while and have explained the modus operandi in a quote in an article on Birmingham Mail:

The buyer says they need to send UPS to collect the item and that the seller will need to give ‘insurance’ money of a higher value than the item to the driver, which will then be paid back to them once the buyer has the item. In the reports we’ve had, the buyers have become quite aggressive and threatened the seller if this tactic has been questioned.

Sources used:

Birmingham Mail: Warning issued to anybody with a Facebook account over Christmas mistake

The Sun: Warning to millions of Facebook users over Christmas – simple mistake could cost you