NORFOLK, Va. - Facebook Marketplace has become an easy, and convenient, way to shop.
Users can look for items and negotiate prices with sellers who live nearby. While many buyers and sellers are successful, people are also at risk of being taken advantage of.
Criminals are now specifically targeting high-dollar items. News 3 spoke with one Norfolk woman who was selling a large piece of furniture for $800.
She said a woman messaged her through Facebook and wanted to buy the dresser.
First, the buyer sent $300 and the seller received an email, which prompted a list of instructions.
The buyer told the seller to put down $300 to gain access to a “business account,” which would be reimbursed once the account was active, and then the $800 would go through that account.
When the seller shared her discomfort with this form of payment, the buyer started getting really pushy and aggressive.
The Better Business Bureau said their vigilance saved the seller from losing hundreds of dollars.
"These peer-to-peer payment services are not going to shoulder any losses for a consumer, if you do get scammed out of money, the chances of you getting that back is very unlikely," said Sarah Wetzel with the Better Business Bureau.
In this case, the seller contacted Zelle and the company confirmed this was not a legitimate transaction.
To protect yourself and your money, be aware if the buyer or seller is pushy, says Zelle is the only payment accepted or if their message has grammatical errors.
When the seller in this case went back and looked at the messages, the fake confirmation email said it was from "ZelleSupp0rt" rather than "Zelle Support."
Click here for Zelle's "fraud and scam protection."
If you have a consumer tip or a story that you want the News 3 Problem Solvers to look into, email problemsolvers@wtkr.com.
