Facebook Marketplace scams
Last updated September 18, 2026
The short answer
On Facebook Marketplace the signature scam is the verification code: a "buyer" asks you to confirm you are real by reading back a code they sent. That code creates a Google Voice number in your name or takes over one of your accounts. No genuine buyer ever needs a code from you.
Marketplace is local, free and attached to a real identity, which makes it feel safer than a classifieds site and is exactly why the scams lean on social proof. A profile with photographs and years of history costs nothing to steal or buy. There is no escrow for local sales and no dispute process, so safety comes entirely from meeting in person, paying at the moment of exchange, and never doing anything a stranger asks you to do with a code.
How Facebook Marketplace scams work
- 1
The verification-code trick
A "buyer" says they have been scammed before and want to check you are a real person, then sends a code and asks you to read it back. The code is from Google Voice — creating a phone number registered to you, later used for scams that trace back to your number — or from one of your own accounts.
- 2
Deposits to hold an item
A buyer sends a deposit by Zelle or Cash App to hold something, then reverses it or simply never appears while you hold the item off the market. A seller asks for a deposit on an item they do not have.
- 3
Fake shipping and "insured delivery"
A buyer out of the area proposes a shipping service, sends a convincing confirmation, and asks you to ship before the payment clears. The service is theirs and no money was ever sent.
- 4
Overpayment and fake payment screenshots
A buyer shows an edited payment screenshot at the meetup, or sends more than the price and asks for the difference back. Check your own app on your own phone before anything changes hands.
- 5
Rental listings
Marketplace carries a large volume of fake rentals — a real property, photographs lifted from a sale listing, an owner who cannot show it, and a deposit requested up front.
Warning signs
- Anyone asks you to read back a verification code, for any reason
- A buyer wants to pay before meeting, or asks for your phone number or email first
- You are asked to ship an item on a local-pickup listing
- A buyer shows a screenshot of payment instead of money appearing in your app
- Payment is offered by cheque, money order, or a service you have not heard of
- A rental cannot be viewed in person and needs a deposit to hold
- The profile is new, or has photographs but almost no history
- A buyer wants to meet somewhere private or late at night
Examples
"Just confirming you are real"
A buyer for a $400 dresser says they have been scammed before and sends a six-digit code to confirm the seller is a real person. The code creates a Google Voice number registered to the seller's phone, later used to run scams that trace back to them. No dresser was ever bought.
The screenshot at the kerb
A buyer meeting for a $900 bicycle shows a completed Zelle screenshot. The seller hands over the bike and checks their own app twenty minutes later. Nothing arrived; the image was edited.
What to do
- Never read out a verification code. There is no legitimate reason a buyer needs one.
- Meet at a police-station exchange zone — most departments have marked, camera-monitored spots for this, free and at any hour.
- Confirm payment in your own app on your own phone before the item changes hands.
- Do not ship on a local listing, and do not accept deposits to hold.
- For rentals, see the inside in person and check the address in county property records before any money moves.
- Report the listing and the account from inside Marketplace — an in-product report is what gets the account actioned.
Report it to Facebook Marketplace
Report the listing and the seller from inside Marketplace — an in-product report is what actually gets the account actioned.
Getting your money back
A verification code you read out cannot be un-read: check myaccount.google.com for a Google Voice number registered in your name and reclaim or remove it, then check every account that uses that phone number for two-factor. Zelle and Cash App payments you authorised are effectively unrecoverable, which is why confirming the money in your own app first is the entire protection. Counterfeit cash and a stolen item are police matters — report them locally with any camera footage, which is one more reason to meet at a police-station exchange zone. Report the account to Meta so the profile is actioned before the next person.
Frequently asked questions
Why would a buyer want me to read back a code?
To use your phone number. The code usually creates a Google Voice number registered to you — used afterwards for scams that trace back to your number — or completes a takeover of one of your own accounts. No genuine buyer has any reason to send you a code.
Is there any buyer or seller protection on Marketplace?
Purchase Protection exists for eligible items paid for with Facebook checkout and shipped. It does not cover local cash sales, which is most of Marketplace. For a local deal, safety comes from meeting in person and paying at the exchange.
Where is it safe to meet?
Most police departments have marked exchange zones in their car parks, monitored by camera and available at any hour. They are free and they remove both the robbery risk and most counterfeit-cash attempts, because very few people try either under a camera at a police station.
A buyer sent a payment screenshot. Is that good enough?
No. Screenshots are trivially edited and fake payment-app confirmation emails are routine. Open your own app on your own phone and confirm the money is actually in your balance before anything changes hands.
Other companies scammers impersonate
Scams reuse their scripts across brands. If you were contacted about Facebook Marketplace, these are the guides worth reading next.