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How to avoid marketplace scams.

Buying or selling on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or eBay — safely.

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Quick answer

To avoid marketplace scams, verify the person (check their email/phone for real history), insist on protected payment or public-place cash, and never use Zelle, wire, crypto, or gift cards with strangers. Pressure toward irreversible payment is itself the scam.

Online marketplaces are efficient — and a magnet for fraud. Most scams collapse under two habits: verify the person, and use protected payment.

Buyer beware: common seller scams

The item that's too cheap, the seller who «can't meet» but will ship after payment, and pressure to pay by Zelle, wire, or gift card. Once you pay by those irreversible methods to someone you can't verify, the money is gone. A real seller accepts protected payment and can show the item on video.

Seller beware: common buyer scams

Overpayment «by mistake» with a request to refund the difference, fake payment confirmation emails, and buyers who want to move off-platform immediately. Never ship until real funds clear in your account, and never refund against a screenshot.

Verify who you're dealing with

Check the email or phone they give you. A brand-new address with no history behind a high-value deal is a red flag; an established identity is reassuring. Our verify-a-seller page does exactly this.

Safe-payment rules

Prefer platform-protected payment or cash for local pickup in a public place. Avoid Zelle, wire, crypto, and gift cards with strangers — they exist to be irreversible. If someone pushes you toward those, that pressure alone is the scam.

The one rule that prevents most losses

If you remember nothing else: irreversible payment to an unverified stranger is where nearly every marketplace loss happens. Zelle, wire, crypto, and gift cards were chosen by scammers precisely because there's no chargeback. Flip it into a rule — «I only pay strangers by methods I can reverse, or cash in person» — and the majority of these scams simply can't touch you, regardless of how convincing the story is.

Key takeaways

Verify the person before you pay or ship.
Use protected payment or public-place cash only.
Avoid Zelle, wire, crypto, gift cards with strangers.
Payment pressure is the clearest red flag.

Reviewed by the Recordwell editorial team · Updated July 31, 2026. Safety guidance is reviewed against primary references.

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Consumer guidance: compare suspicious behavior with the FTC's scam-avoidance guidance and the FCC's unwanted-call guidance.

FAQ

Common questions

What's the safest way to pay on Facebook Marketplace?

Cash for local pickup in a public place, or a platform-protected payment method. Avoid Zelle, wire, and gift cards with strangers.

How do I check if a seller is legit?

Verify their email or phone against public records, ask for a video of the item, and be wary of prices far below market.

A buyer overpaid and wants a refund — is that a scam?

Almost always. The original payment is usually fake or will be reversed, leaving you out the refund. Never refund against an unverified payment.

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