A woman in Oldham, named Danielle Pickett, shared her harrowing experience of being scammed out of £400 after selling her phone on Facebook Marketplace. The scam unfolded when she handed over the phone to a man on an e-scooter who had come to collect it following what she believed was a legitimate transaction. Despite being shown apparent proof of payment, the money did not reflect in her account the next day.
Danielle contacted the buyer, who reassured her that it was not a scam and promised to resolve the issue promptly. However, as the buyer failed to follow through, Danielle’s concerns escalated. The situation took a darker turn when the buyer threatened her, claiming to know her address and warning of making her life miserable if she took further action.
Undeterred, Danielle shared CCTV footage of the man at her home and the suspected fake bank transfer confirmation with the public, leading to other victims coming forward. Despite reaching out to the buyer multiple times, the promised resolution never materialized.
Expressing her unease over the threats and invasion of her privacy, Danielle highlighted the need for vigilance when dealing with online transactions. She eventually involved the Greater Manchester Police, who are investigating the incident.
In response to the growing concern over online scams, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has implemented various anti-scam measures on Marketplace. These include verification checkpoints for suspicious accounts and filtering messages to identify risky behavior.
For a safer online shopping experience, Facebook advises users to be cautious of new or incomplete profiles, check seller reviews, meet in public places for transactions, and opt for secure payment methods like PayPal. These precautions can help prevent falling victim to scams and protect against fraudulent activities.
