Facebook scams come at ya fast and furious (RIP Paul Walker). 🙏 One minute you’re chatting with someone over a used couch, the next minute they’re stealing your identity! 😱
OK, that doesn’t happen all the time, but you still need to watch your back. 👀 We’ve rounded up some top tips so you can FB shop til you drop safely.
Here’s Five Fast Facts on how to avoid Facebook scams:
- 🤔 FB Fakes - Big rule of thumb: if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. So many scam posts lure people in with big promises that turn out to be bogus. They include super-cheap apartments for rent, work from home jobs that pay outrageous salaries, and free food. It’s also a major red flag when the comments on these kinds of posts are disabled.
- 🖼️ Bait & Switch - Did that picture-perfect living room set catch your eye? Take a closer look…it could be a stock photo. Honest sellers on FB Marketplace take real photos of what they’re selling. They also point out any flaws and include them in the listing. If the photos don’t seem genuine, it’s probably a scam.
- 💬 Shady Chats - Beware of anyone who tries to take your chat off the Facebook platform where there’s less protection and more risk for fraud. When purchasing an item, meet up with the seller in a public place during the day. Give them payment in cold hard cash or use a secure payment platform, like Venmo. Never give a stranger your payment information.
- 🧑💻 Keeping Tabs - Today’s scammers research their victims so they can be as manipulative as possible. People love to share their lives on social media, but you never know who’s watching. Adjust your privacy settings to shut out lurkers. If you want to keep your account public, avoid sharing things like your address, birthday, and phone number.
- 🚨 Freeze Tag - Unfortunately, even careful people get scammed. If you do, it’s important to report the incident right away. Notify Facebook Marketplace ASAP and give them as many details as possible. If a scammer stole your personal or financial information, freeze your accounts and sign up for credit monitoring.
🔥Bottom line: As technology gets more advanced, crooks get smarter! Stay alert and on guard when surfing FB Marketplace for those resale gems. Did you know thrifting and buying secondhand is so hot right now? We covered the whole “underconsumption core” trend in a handy dandy article.
Have you ever been ripped off on Facebook?
Let us know by connecting with us on Facebook and Instagram! Also, remember to share this newsletter with your friends & coworkers!
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