marketplace Scam
Facebook Marketplace Overpayment Pattern
Scammers pose as eager buyers, send forged payment screenshots, then demand you refund the “extra” funds. WebVetted tracks payment claims, courier requests, and profile history to show when an offer is just laundering.
Red flags
- Buyer insists their shipper will pick up the item once you send a refund.
- Screenshots show payments from platforms you never use.
- Profile was created recently and has no local friends or activity.
How to Respond
- Run the buyer through the Marketplace Checker to view past complaints and signals.
- Confirm payments directly inside your banking or P2P app before shipping anything.
- Report the conversation to Facebook and alert local selling groups.
📌 Case study
We documented a crew sending fake Zelle receipts for furniture deals, pushing sellers to mail gift cards. Another scammer used forged Cashier’s checks and tried to reclaim the “overage” within minutes.
Need evidence for a bank or police report?
Generate a full entity dossier plus user-submitted reviews and then share the PDF with law enforcement or platform trust teams.