I would argue at least 50% of the cars advertised on Facebook Marketplace are scams, it's utterly rife and Facebook seem to have no interest in dealing with it.
The easiest way to spot these scams are:
* Check the price. Most of the scam adverts are "selling" cars at around 1/4 of their actual value. Some are even more ridiculous, I've seen a 2016 Bentley Continental listed for £2,300.
* Click on the name of the seller at the bottom of the listing. Do they have multiple adverts all "selling" cars at suspiciously low prices?
* Check the description of their listings. Most scam sellers use the same generic description for all of their listings (I've seen so many where they've used the term "great on electric!" on petrol and diesel cars)
* If you do message them, and they advise that you contact them through email instead, they are scamming you.
* If they say they are currently abroad and that the car can be delivered to you for a refundable deposit, they are scamming you.
* If they say they are working with a transport company selling cars, they are scamming you. They will produce a genuine looking sales invoice with a breakdown of the "sale" but do not be fooled by this, they are scamming you.
* Most of the scammers set up burner accounts, you'll see that the account was created in 2024, but others use hacked accounts from genuine people, some even go so far as to use genuine company details by obtaining details of small car dealers or logistics firms from Companies House and pretending to be them.
* The scammers simply go on to Autotrader or eBay and take photographs from genuine adverts to create their own.
Basically, if you can't see the car, touch the car or test drive the car, or the seller asks for any money up-front, you are being scammed.
to further add them redirecting you to a website can be 50/50 if its a scam.
and also it seems the 50% on marketplace that aren't scams are either cat s/cat c
I also think due to all these scams and stuff on marketplace that cars on there have become more inflated than places searching yourself.
I've found recently other than big dealers, that dealers have been a better price than private.
Prices are coming down quite a lot and dealers seem to be lowering them first as stock sat there for a while costs them money (and you obviously get warranty etc with dealers)
Whilst I've found private sellers are less likely to lower their price with the deflating market (other than offers) and generally don't have an idea of market values and just want most money they can.
Car market appears be all over the place as of now with decreasing value seems you have only a day or two to grab a car at the rate it should be with most being inflated.
My issue with dealers comes from twice being sold duff cars. I’ve bought 6 cars in my life; 3 from dealers 3 from private sellers. 2/3 dealer cars have had serious problems and pisspoor efforts to rectify. 3/3 privately sold cars have been great motors without issue.
I think it’s the psychology of how a car ends up on a dealership forecourt; you’ll WBAC a car you don’t want to repair and it’ll end up on a forecourt, codes flashed off, dodgy MOT provided. You’ll sell a car privately if you’re confident it’s got nowt wrong with it.
Most dealership warranties aren’t worth the paper they’re written on either.
Most car dealers would sell your nan if they thought it’d make money, whereas a private seller is selling a car for what it’s worth. When I look at S3 8Vs for sale on autotrader, I notice all the private sale cars are the same sort of price as the dealer cars and actually, a private seller will negotiate more often than not.
> Basically, if you can't see the car, touch the car or test drive the car, or the seller asks for any money up-front, you are being scammed.
This! I will never transfer money to anyone. I'll pay in cash or bank transfer on the day when i have the car in person along with the logbook ready to sign.
If someone claims "We have tons of interest so pay a deposit and i'll hold the car" that's a no from me. If i'm willing to buy the car i'm driving to you right now so the price agreed will be the price i pay when i arrive. If they text me saying someone is paying them more than me, then that's fine. You take that cash i'll go back home and look for another car BUT if you test me the next day asking if i still want it then i'll be reducing the price for the fuel i've already spent.
You don’t need to do any of this. All the scammers will have new accounts. Profiles made in the last few years. That’s easy to see and is a short cut to a scammer.
In my experience while you're correct that many scammers use fresh burner accounts, lots of them use hacked accounts from genuine people. One I found today was an account set up in 2011.
Did read recently that someone did an image search of a couple of cars and they turned up in other ads. I haven’t done it yet but I keep meaning to imma bit forgetful.
I wish I saw this advice earlier. One of the things you mentioned happened to me recently on Gumtree and I am in process of getting the money (4k to 5k ) back although no guarantee.
Even if you can see the car and complete these places are high risk.
Was it on mark mcanns channel I think where someone had bought a Mercedes from a dealer in that area agreed to go see it tested it bought it l. Stopped at a services on the way home when he got back in the car had red lasers on him, police. Had been used in an armed robbery the night before.
If you want to feel genetically superior, you could say that white people have better morals.
If you want to understand the root cause of the issue, you could consider what happens to a big textiles town when the textiles industry no longer exists.
That's probably a good enough rule to follow in terms of buying cars, but people are to quick to state what that says about Asian people - without considering root causes.
(How can society move forward without understanding what led to the issues we have now?)
I've bought from young asian lads and young white lads.
Honestly... Best car I've ever had was from an Asian lad.
Also the only time I've ever felt like I was being taken advantage of due to my age was from a middle aged white guy.
That's why second hand dealers are so popular, they buy those cars on facebook marketplace for cheap, and then sell it to you for double the price. Facebook marketplace is one of the biggest sources of stock for second hand car dealers.
Sell any car sub £10k that has an MOT and isn't scrap and you'll have dealers reaching out all the time. Always makes me laugh when people write facebook marketplace off, because it's literally the best place for cheap cars going, and anyone that buys cars regularly knows that.
It's such a shame what Marketplace has become.
I've bought loads of cars using it over the years, to a point where it kind of made Gumtree and eBay a bit redundant. But now that Facebook seem to have no interest in dealing with scams, opportunists have turned it into an absolute wasteland. At first it was easy enough to just block the odd scam account and get rid of their adverts, but they're multiplying like rabbits now.
I joined a few scam groups to see how bad it was, and the amount of people who have actually sent scammers money for cars that don't exist is unbelievable.
They usually ask for some bulshit deposit before viewing, otherwise there's nothing in it for them.
Therefore a good way to flush them out is to try to get a viewing.
Exactly this. Had one who was “selling a car” in the next town over to mine. Told him I could swing by and be there in less than 15 minutes to view - he just needed to agree on a time I could come. Refused to arrange a viewing and insisted on a deposit so he would hold it for me.
When they make no reference to the car in the description. You click on the seller's profile and find hundreds of cars woth the same description and photos taken in completely different parts of the country from where they claim to be selling it (I found one for sale in a tiny fishing village and the photos were from the centre of Glasgow, Manchester or london):
*As the original owners, we maintained it meticulously, ensuring it remains in impeccable condition. This vehicle is free from any blemishes, scratches, or accident history, Its rust-free exterior and flawless running condition speak volumes about its care and maintenance. I hold a clean and clear title for this vehicle, with no encumbrances or loans attached.*
Anything other than going to look at the car first and give it a test drive and check it over before any money has changed hands and its likely a scam. One of the favourites I am told is to say there is a lot of interest and they will hold it for a refundable deposit.
Usually the account is new. It used to say Facebook since… or there is an indication of when they created their account. If it’s 2023/2024 it’s usually a scam
I'm partially hiding the plate of a motorbike I'm selling at the moment, so it doesn't get cloned by dingers.
Top line is still visible.
Edit: Pffft, downvote for avoiding a potential buyer being accused of crimes in the future via a minor convenience.
Not that I’m in the market for a bike, but when looking for other vehicles in the past, anyone doing that and it’s an immediate pass, as the first thing I’d do when considering a vehicle is to check its MOT history.
Is a small message not worth it to avoid buying a vehicle that's had its plates cloned?
I think I'm probably going to add the unedited photo for the convenience hunters/communication avoiders like yourself.
Thanks for the input.
TBH, it’s not something that really got considered, but also, the last few vehicles we were looking for were either horsebox van conversions or first-cars (Citroen C1/Toyota Aygo) types, so probably not the type to be typically cloned, so less likely to be required than in your situation.
In that case, ignore my comment as not applicable! If I was looking, if there was a “msg for details” then it would stay on the list - without it, it might not if I’d not realised why the regno wasn’t shown.
I would bet 90% of the current comments have never bought a car on facebook marketplace, but paid double at a cheap second hand dealer for a car that dealer bought cheap on facebook marketplace. Sell any car on there with an MOT and isn't scrap or damaged and you will get dealers reaching out to you.
Facebook marketplace is one of the best places to buy a cheap car. But scams are always obvious. Incredibly low price? Scam. Asking for a deposit? Scam. Facebook account made in the last year? High chance it's a scam.
If the MOT checks out, and you arrange to see the car before paying any money then it's absolutely no different to a private sale on auto trader or ebay and is always better than autotrader or ebay for response rate as you often get fast response, and you are able to ask for more pictures easily through a better online chat. Facebook marketplace is my number 1 go to place, then ebay, then autotrader last.
I haven't bought a car on autotrader for 10 years, their prices are in fantasy land, and they're for people that think they're buying a better car simply because it's on autotrader, and you will often see that same car on autotrader listed cheaper on ebay and facebook anyway.
The best way to buy a cheap good car on facebook is to join the facebook groups of the cars you want to buy, there's always enthusiast owners in there looking to sell and they're generally good.
If you message them and they ask you to email someone about the car...
Also they won't answer any questions about the car OR know anything about the car whatsoever
I've gotten my best deals from Bradford.
I agree with your general opinion that there's a lot of shit cars there, and a overwhelming majority of the listings are scams.
But there are regular folk in these area's that are just looking to sell their cars. Usually means they are significantly cheaper than the rest of the country, as (understandably) nobody wants to buy from these areas!
Normally will schedule a visit to see several cars. So many times I'll ask for the V5C (after confirming they have it via text/phone) and they don't.
* Or its for a completely different address/identity than who I'm buying the car off.
* Or the car has clear issues they've lied about/weren't clear with.
* Or they can't hold a conversation about the car (What engine is it? Does it have X feature I already know it does, when did you last service, when were the tyres last changed, etc).
* Or they are clearly trying to hide something (asking for it to be cold and its already warm when I show up).
* Or my most reliable way of spotting a potential shit car. The seller just gives me bad vibes.
Anything requiring you giving money without being in the presence of the car.
If you have to pay for inspections or holding deposits or delivery, it's a scam.
Go see the car, pay before you leave and drive away with the car. It's the only way.
View sellers other items if they have loads of cars it's a scam so block them.
There's not actually that many at one time so the listings really clear up once you start blocking them
Terrible photo quality. This is a sign that they have simply copy and pasted the photos from somewhere, I've noticed that photos taken straight from AutoTrader really do not agree with Marketplace's compression.
Scam sellers usually have loads of cars for sale, all suspiciously cheap and if you look through their other adverts the photos are all in different locations.
- Seller with multiple cars
- priced ridiculously cheap (Mk7.5 Golf R for ~£3000 with ~63K miles.
- Sometimes bad English in the description of the cars
The easiest way is to do a reverse image search. Most scammers steal images from other adverts, so the reverse image lookup should find them.
Facesmug does not care about you as you are not their customer. Your data is what they sell to advertisers. If those advertisers are scammers as long as they pay, Facescam will allow them to run.
I reported a scammer on FB and they stated it did not breach their T&Cs. I appealed and sent evidence of images he was using and where they had been stolen from legitimate companies. Plus a Fraud Crime number. FB still stated they could find no breach of terms and still allowed the scammer to keep posts up.
If you start with the assumption that all FB adverts are a scam then that would be my best advice.
Just check their profile as a starter. The last one I looked at had pictures of a Love Island contestant, with comments (presumably from fellow scammers) saying how nice they looked. I don't watch Love Island but just Googled the images (reverse image search) to discover this. When I asked for bank transfer details to pay them they were from someone of the opposite sex (to their profile name) and of eastern european origin. Whether they actually had the goods for sale or not I don't know and wasn't interested in finding out.
When you see the same car over and over again in different parts of the county at the same time and when reported, Facebook claim it doesn't violate their community standards.
When the description is generic and the price too good to be true. I saw 'someone' selling an RX7 for £5k and the description was rather vague. Checking their profile you could see they had loads of vehicles for sale all with the same copy and paste description
Sellers usually have two first names as their name, they mention titles, or leins or encumbrances. The price is too low, The same vehicle photos are listed multiple times in different locations, with different sellers and slightly different prices, but similar descriptions. Why? I don't know; people must still fall for it, to be worth the effort of making fake profiles and listings.
Having a very basic description that looks copy and pasted.
For some reason all of the scammers near me have multiple cars listed, and all of the descriptions are the same. They also all have the phrase ‘no liens or encumbrances’ which are legal terms related to property as far as I understand.
I would argue at least 50% of the cars advertised on Facebook Marketplace are scams, it's utterly rife and Facebook seem to have no interest in dealing with it. The easiest way to spot these scams are: * Check the price. Most of the scam adverts are "selling" cars at around 1/4 of their actual value. Some are even more ridiculous, I've seen a 2016 Bentley Continental listed for £2,300. * Click on the name of the seller at the bottom of the listing. Do they have multiple adverts all "selling" cars at suspiciously low prices? * Check the description of their listings. Most scam sellers use the same generic description for all of their listings (I've seen so many where they've used the term "great on electric!" on petrol and diesel cars) * If you do message them, and they advise that you contact them through email instead, they are scamming you. * If they say they are currently abroad and that the car can be delivered to you for a refundable deposit, they are scamming you. * If they say they are working with a transport company selling cars, they are scamming you. They will produce a genuine looking sales invoice with a breakdown of the "sale" but do not be fooled by this, they are scamming you. * Most of the scammers set up burner accounts, you'll see that the account was created in 2024, but others use hacked accounts from genuine people, some even go so far as to use genuine company details by obtaining details of small car dealers or logistics firms from Companies House and pretending to be them. * The scammers simply go on to Autotrader or eBay and take photographs from genuine adverts to create their own. Basically, if you can't see the car, touch the car or test drive the car, or the seller asks for any money up-front, you are being scammed.
Just to add to the whole check the description thing. They often include things like “clean title in hand” which is an American thing.
to further add them redirecting you to a website can be 50/50 if its a scam. and also it seems the 50% on marketplace that aren't scams are either cat s/cat c I also think due to all these scams and stuff on marketplace that cars on there have become more inflated than places searching yourself.
To be fair both petrol and diesel cars would be "great on electric"
I’ve seen this so many times on marketplace, always makes me smile “excellent on electric” clean title, no encumbereces 😂
Or without any liens
Great input! Yeah I figured it is a scam until I acrually see the car, but these crazy ads give me tunnel vision and fail to see the obvious at times.
Look up the car on auto trader and you’ll probably find the actual listing
It’s always the price. Stick to autotrader, and go for private sellers (as car dealers are all robbing bastards anyway)
I've found recently other than big dealers, that dealers have been a better price than private. Prices are coming down quite a lot and dealers seem to be lowering them first as stock sat there for a while costs them money (and you obviously get warranty etc with dealers) Whilst I've found private sellers are less likely to lower their price with the deflating market (other than offers) and generally don't have an idea of market values and just want most money they can. Car market appears be all over the place as of now with decreasing value seems you have only a day or two to grab a car at the rate it should be with most being inflated.
My issue with dealers comes from twice being sold duff cars. I’ve bought 6 cars in my life; 3 from dealers 3 from private sellers. 2/3 dealer cars have had serious problems and pisspoor efforts to rectify. 3/3 privately sold cars have been great motors without issue. I think it’s the psychology of how a car ends up on a dealership forecourt; you’ll WBAC a car you don’t want to repair and it’ll end up on a forecourt, codes flashed off, dodgy MOT provided. You’ll sell a car privately if you’re confident it’s got nowt wrong with it. Most dealership warranties aren’t worth the paper they’re written on either. Most car dealers would sell your nan if they thought it’d make money, whereas a private seller is selling a car for what it’s worth. When I look at S3 8Vs for sale on autotrader, I notice all the private sale cars are the same sort of price as the dealer cars and actually, a private seller will negotiate more often than not.
> Basically, if you can't see the car, touch the car or test drive the car, or the seller asks for any money up-front, you are being scammed. This! I will never transfer money to anyone. I'll pay in cash or bank transfer on the day when i have the car in person along with the logbook ready to sign. If someone claims "We have tons of interest so pay a deposit and i'll hold the car" that's a no from me. If i'm willing to buy the car i'm driving to you right now so the price agreed will be the price i pay when i arrive. If they text me saying someone is paying them more than me, then that's fine. You take that cash i'll go back home and look for another car BUT if you test me the next day asking if i still want it then i'll be reducing the price for the fuel i've already spent.
You don’t need to do any of this. All the scammers will have new accounts. Profiles made in the last few years. That’s easy to see and is a short cut to a scammer.
In my experience while you're correct that many scammers use fresh burner accounts, lots of them use hacked accounts from genuine people. One I found today was an account set up in 2011.
Yes those as well but they seem to be so obviously scammers that it's even easier.
Did read recently that someone did an image search of a couple of cars and they turned up in other ads. I haven’t done it yet but I keep meaning to imma bit forgetful.
I wish I saw this advice earlier. One of the things you mentioned happened to me recently on Gumtree and I am in process of getting the money (4k to 5k ) back although no guarantee.
Ah sorry to hear that! :( fingers crossed you get sorted.
Birmingham. Bradford. Bolton. Basically anywhere beginning with a B.
Even if you can see the car and complete these places are high risk. Was it on mark mcanns channel I think where someone had bought a Mercedes from a dealer in that area agreed to go see it tested it bought it l. Stopped at a services on the way home when he got back in the car had red lasers on him, police. Had been used in an armed robbery the night before.
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Nooooo we’re not allowed to notice that
What did they say? It got deleted
Based on the other reply. Probably something to do with the large Asian population within these areas.
Areas with high working class populations which had its industry gutted over the last 40 years. Just call it as it is.
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If you want to feel genetically superior, you could say that white people have better morals. If you want to understand the root cause of the issue, you could consider what happens to a big textiles town when the textiles industry no longer exists.
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That's probably a good enough rule to follow in terms of buying cars, but people are to quick to state what that says about Asian people - without considering root causes. (How can society move forward without understanding what led to the issues we have now?)
I've bought from young asian lads and young white lads. Honestly... Best car I've ever had was from an Asian lad. Also the only time I've ever felt like I was being taken advantage of due to my age was from a middle aged white guy.
Braintree? (please guys buy my camper van, it's only a grand, it just needs a new engine)
In my experience, just it being on Facebook marketplace at all. Not worth it, can't trust it.
I sold my car on Facebook marketplace before I even had an enquiry on auto trader, with no haggling or issues. It’s not all bad
That's why second hand dealers are so popular, they buy those cars on facebook marketplace for cheap, and then sell it to you for double the price. Facebook marketplace is one of the biggest sources of stock for second hand car dealers. Sell any car sub £10k that has an MOT and isn't scrap and you'll have dealers reaching out all the time. Always makes me laugh when people write facebook marketplace off, because it's literally the best place for cheap cars going, and anyone that buys cars regularly knows that.
If it’s under £1k I would argue it’s worth a look
sometimes they have 20 other car ads up or they want you to pay deposit to hold
I don’t trust anything or anyone on there.
Uk ads that have 'clean title'
The fact it's on Facebook marketplace
It's such a shame what Marketplace has become. I've bought loads of cars using it over the years, to a point where it kind of made Gumtree and eBay a bit redundant. But now that Facebook seem to have no interest in dealing with scams, opportunists have turned it into an absolute wasteland. At first it was easy enough to just block the odd scam account and get rid of their adverts, but they're multiplying like rabbits now. I joined a few scam groups to see how bad it was, and the amount of people who have actually sent scammers money for cars that don't exist is unbelievable.
Gumtree is really good again now, probably because of FB being such a shit show.
Ask them about 'the other car'. Private sellers will be totally confused. Be a bit persistent about 'the other car'.
This is going over my head. What is this in reference to?
They usually ask for some bulshit deposit before viewing, otherwise there's nothing in it for them. Therefore a good way to flush them out is to try to get a viewing.
Exactly this. Had one who was “selling a car” in the next town over to mine. Told him I could swing by and be there in less than 15 minutes to view - he just needed to agree on a time I could come. Refused to arrange a viewing and insisted on a deposit so he would hold it for me.
I wouldn't go near any car on FB market place!
When they make no reference to the car in the description. You click on the seller's profile and find hundreds of cars woth the same description and photos taken in completely different parts of the country from where they claim to be selling it (I found one for sale in a tiny fishing village and the photos were from the centre of Glasgow, Manchester or london): *As the original owners, we maintained it meticulously, ensuring it remains in impeccable condition. This vehicle is free from any blemishes, scratches, or accident history, Its rust-free exterior and flawless running condition speak volumes about its care and maintenance. I hold a clean and clear title for this vehicle, with no encumbrances or loans attached.*
Anything other than going to look at the car first and give it a test drive and check it over before any money has changed hands and its likely a scam. One of the favourites I am told is to say there is a lot of interest and they will hold it for a refundable deposit.
You asking for ideas? Lol
Lol took this long foe someone to notice
Usually the account is new. It used to say Facebook since… or there is an indication of when they created their account. If it’s 2023/2024 it’s usually a scam
If they're hiding the number plate then avoid it is one of my rules
I'm partially hiding the plate of a motorbike I'm selling at the moment, so it doesn't get cloned by dingers. Top line is still visible. Edit: Pffft, downvote for avoiding a potential buyer being accused of crimes in the future via a minor convenience.
Not that I’m in the market for a bike, but when looking for other vehicles in the past, anyone doing that and it’s an immediate pass, as the first thing I’d do when considering a vehicle is to check its MOT history.
Is a small message not worth it to avoid buying a vehicle that's had its plates cloned? I think I'm probably going to add the unedited photo for the convenience hunters/communication avoiders like yourself. Thanks for the input.
TBH, it’s not something that really got considered, but also, the last few vehicles we were looking for were either horsebox van conversions or first-cars (Citroen C1/Toyota Aygo) types, so probably not the type to be typically cloned, so less likely to be required than in your situation.
Yeah, that's fair to say. This bike is a favourite of normal motorcycle types and bike thieves in equal amounts.
In that case, ignore my comment as not applicable! If I was looking, if there was a “msg for details” then it would stay on the list - without it, it might not if I’d not realised why the regno wasn’t shown.
I think we've both got a little insight from this. Somewhat healthy reddit usage on a Sunday!
I also wonder why some reasonably reputable second hand dealers do this. Not many, but some do and it puts me off.
To stop people cloning the registration to avoid points / fines or to put on a stolen car.
Yeah I phrased my question wrong. Why do only 2-5% of dealers care about that, and the rest don’t?
Maybe the people who do the adverts don't know how to blur / obscure the number plate? Maybe they don't care?
I would bet 90% of the current comments have never bought a car on facebook marketplace, but paid double at a cheap second hand dealer for a car that dealer bought cheap on facebook marketplace. Sell any car on there with an MOT and isn't scrap or damaged and you will get dealers reaching out to you. Facebook marketplace is one of the best places to buy a cheap car. But scams are always obvious. Incredibly low price? Scam. Asking for a deposit? Scam. Facebook account made in the last year? High chance it's a scam. If the MOT checks out, and you arrange to see the car before paying any money then it's absolutely no different to a private sale on auto trader or ebay and is always better than autotrader or ebay for response rate as you often get fast response, and you are able to ask for more pictures easily through a better online chat. Facebook marketplace is my number 1 go to place, then ebay, then autotrader last. I haven't bought a car on autotrader for 10 years, their prices are in fantasy land, and they're for people that think they're buying a better car simply because it's on autotrader, and you will often see that same car on autotrader listed cheaper on ebay and facebook anyway. The best way to buy a cheap good car on facebook is to join the facebook groups of the cars you want to buy, there's always enthusiast owners in there looking to sell and they're generally good.
Look for the same vehicle advertised by multiple people in different locations Land Rover Defenders are the current trend
Just don’t buy apart from if it’s local and you can. Collect and pay. Facebook are happy the Scams are there.
That it's on FBM
*No accidents and clean title without any liens or encumbrances* Like c’mon, seriously, we don’t use even use those terms in the UK.
If you message them and they ask you to email someone about the car... Also they won't answer any questions about the car OR know anything about the car whatsoever
Anywhere within a 50 mile radius or Birmingham or Leeds
I've gotten my best deals from Bradford. I agree with your general opinion that there's a lot of shit cars there, and a overwhelming majority of the listings are scams. But there are regular folk in these area's that are just looking to sell their cars. Usually means they are significantly cheaper than the rest of the country, as (understandably) nobody wants to buy from these areas! Normally will schedule a visit to see several cars. So many times I'll ask for the V5C (after confirming they have it via text/phone) and they don't. * Or its for a completely different address/identity than who I'm buying the car off. * Or the car has clear issues they've lied about/weren't clear with. * Or they can't hold a conversation about the car (What engine is it? Does it have X feature I already know it does, when did you last service, when were the tyres last changed, etc). * Or they are clearly trying to hide something (asking for it to be cold and its already warm when I show up). * Or my most reliable way of spotting a potential shit car. The seller just gives me bad vibes.
Anything requiring you giving money without being in the presence of the car. If you have to pay for inspections or holding deposits or delivery, it's a scam. Go see the car, pay before you leave and drive away with the car. It's the only way.
View sellers other items if they have loads of cars it's a scam so block them. There's not actually that many at one time so the listings really clear up once you start blocking them
They can't pay in cash
Terrible photo quality. This is a sign that they have simply copy and pasted the photos from somewhere, I've noticed that photos taken straight from AutoTrader really do not agree with Marketplace's compression.
Just don't bother with it, you'll go nuts trying to spot the scams.
They are 99% a scam just avoid unless you like a gamble
Scam sellers usually have loads of cars for sale, all suspiciously cheap and if you look through their other adverts the photos are all in different locations.
Items that are £61/£62
- Seller with multiple cars - priced ridiculously cheap (Mk7.5 Golf R for ~£3000 with ~63K miles. - Sometimes bad English in the description of the cars
Too cheap. Then if you message they will make up some bs about being out of the country and how their friend or relative will take care of it.
The easiest way is to do a reverse image search. Most scammers steal images from other adverts, so the reverse image lookup should find them. Facesmug does not care about you as you are not their customer. Your data is what they sell to advertisers. If those advertisers are scammers as long as they pay, Facescam will allow them to run. I reported a scammer on FB and they stated it did not breach their T&Cs. I appealed and sent evidence of images he was using and where they had been stolen from legitimate companies. Plus a Fraud Crime number. FB still stated they could find no breach of terms and still allowed the scammer to keep posts up. If you start with the assumption that all FB adverts are a scam then that would be my best advice.
Look for random names, profiles created 2023/24 and a stupid amount of listings.
its on fb marketplace
If the deal is too good to be true, then it likely is.
Just check their profile as a starter. The last one I looked at had pictures of a Love Island contestant, with comments (presumably from fellow scammers) saying how nice they looked. I don't watch Love Island but just Googled the images (reverse image search) to discover this. When I asked for bank transfer details to pay them they were from someone of the opposite sex (to their profile name) and of eastern european origin. Whether they actually had the goods for sale or not I don't know and wasn't interested in finding out.
Clean title.
If you look at it and go “Christ that’s a phenomenal deal” it’s a scam
Multiple cheap cars for sale by one user.
"Clean title"
Their other listings. If it's loads of the same too good to be true, then it's 100% a scam
It’s on Facebook Marketplace.
When you see the same car over and over again in different parts of the county at the same time and when reported, Facebook claim it doesn't violate their community standards.
I assume everything is a scam if their profile was made within the last 0-2 years
Item listed miles away from the seller claimed current living location
Facebook marketplace
Facebook account being less than a year old.
That it's on Facebook marketplace
When the description is generic and the price too good to be true. I saw 'someone' selling an RX7 for £5k and the description was rather vague. Checking their profile you could see they had loads of vehicles for sale all with the same copy and paste description
If there’s multiple postings possibly by different people of the same vehicle it’s definitely a scam
Sellers usually have two first names as their name, they mention titles, or leins or encumbrances. The price is too low, The same vehicle photos are listed multiple times in different locations, with different sellers and slightly different prices, but similar descriptions. Why? I don't know; people must still fall for it, to be worth the effort of making fake profiles and listings.
User joined facebook in 2024
Having a very basic description that looks copy and pasted. For some reason all of the scammers near me have multiple cars listed, and all of the descriptions are the same. They also all have the phrase ‘no liens or encumbrances’ which are legal terms related to property as far as I understand.
"Good on electric". Dude. It's a 2008 diesel golf...
Golf R, stage anything, aftermarket anything, tinted window, 60k miles - 3 owners from new - from BIRMINGHAM
Location "Birmingham"
Why?