18 October 2023
CHASE COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW) — The Chase County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public of Facebook Marketplace scams happening.
“We have been receiving reports of citizens ‘purchasing’ Chiefs Tickets from individuals on Facebook only to find out they were scammed out of hundreds of dollars,” said the CCSO.
The CCSO wants to remind the public that if you are going to buy things off of Facebook, to do so from someone you know.
“It’s very easy for people to make accounts to scam you,” said the CCSO. “And 99% of the time, there is no way to track them down because they use fake names, multiple names, etc.”
The Facebook Help Center has shopping safety tips for buying on Marketplace:
Double-check deals that seem too good to be true. Scammers may try to use underpriced items to lure buyers into a scam
Do not send deposits for high-value items (apartments, cars, etc.) without confirming that they’re real first. When possible, try to confirm the existence and ownership (example: a pink slip for a car) of the item(s) in person or over a video chat before sending payments
Always verify the tracking numbers that you see on Marketplace on the shipping company’s website, and make sure that the delivery address and shipping information are correct
Review the seller’s profile to learn more about the seller. On their profile, you can see ratings and reviews from other buyers, friends you may have in common, view their other listings, and review their Marketplace activity
Eligible purchases made with checkout on Facebook are covered by Purchase Protection. Items exchanged in person using cash or other person-to-person payment methods are not eligible
When buying in person, before completing the transaction, be sure to inspect the items closely to make sure that they:
Are real (example: verifying authenticity)
Are in the expected condition (example: new, used, etc.)
Work as expected