Police urge caution when using Facebook Marketplace after rise in fraud
A police force has warned of a "sharp increase" in scams on Facebook Marketplace as Christmas looms and people look for bargains online.
North Wales Police, which covers the Chirk, Llangollen and Wrexham region, says over the last weekend residents reported losses of £4,270 in just two days.
The reports include victims paying large deposits or making full payments direct into the suspect's bank account, for goods that are never received. In one instance a large deposit was made for an item and, when the victim attended the address provided to make collection, the elderly occupants were unaware of the sale and the victim was left out of pocket.
People selling items have also been targeted by criminals. Fraudsters posing as buyers arrived at the victim’s house to collect an item and claimed they had made payment using an online banking app. The suspects were handed the item and left, but the funds were never received by the victim as the banking app was fake.
A spokesman for the police said: "We would urge people to be cautious when using Facebook Marketplace as there is little chance of being reimbursed if the worst happens. When buying items, we would advise to carry out transactions face to face where possible, using cash or payment services, such as Paypal, where a level of protection is offered."
They advise if you need to report any fraudulent activity, contact Facebook to report the account, the Action Fraud website, via the North Wales Police website or by calling 101.
