Marketplace payment scams: only money in your own account counts

A payment screenshot is not a payment

Most Facebook Marketplace payment scams aimed at sellers have the same shape: the buyer creates the appearance of money, then asks you to act on it, by handing over the item, refunding an "overpayment" or reading out a code. Meta's Marketplace safety page names the first trick directly: buyers may request refunds without actually paying, so always check your account to confirm payment, even if they send you a screenshot showing the transaction.

The habit that defeats these scams is simple. You only trust money you can see in your own account, opened by you.

The patterns to recognize

Meta's safety page, checked November 8, 2026, and an FBI field office warning describe these patterns:

Meta's page says off-platform scams are most common in the vehicle, rental and home goods categories. It describes links that require you to log in with personal information or passwords as an immediate red flag.

Step 1: Agree the payment method in messages

Decide before the meeting how you'll be paid, and write it in Marketplace messages: cash on collection, or a named payment app with the exact amount. A clear agreement gives you a reason to refuse last-minute changes such as "my bank will send a confirmation email."

Step 2: Check your own account, not theirs

Open your payment app or banking app yourself, from your own phone, and look for the payment as received and available. Don't use a link the buyer sends, don't trust an email that claims to be a confirmation, and don't accept a screenshot on the buyer's phone. If anything is unclear, contact your payment app's support directly, as Meta's page advises.

Refund check: If a buyer says they paid too much and asks you to send the difference back, stop. Meta lists overpayment among the common scams. Confirm the original payment in your account first; any genuine overpayment can be refunded through the same payment app it came from.

Step 3: Never share a verification code

The FBI's Portland field office warned on January 4, 2022 about a Google Voice authentication scam that can reach people dealing with strangers online, including buyers and sellers: the scammer says they'll send an authentication code to confirm you're a real person, then uses your real phone number to set up a Google Voice account in your name, and can also use the code to take over your Gmail account. The FBI's advice includes never sharing a Google verification code with others, dealing with buyers and sellers in person, and making sure you're using legitimate payment processors if money changes hands. A buyer has no legitimate reason to need a code sent to your phone.

Step 4: For cash, count it at the handover

For cash sales, count the money before handing over the item, in a public, well-lit place. Agree the exact total in messages beforehand, including any delivery fee, so the count is quick. The meeting buyers manual covers where and how to meet.

Step 5: Stop and report if it feels wrong

Meta's page says that if you think something is a scam, you should stop communicating with the buyer and report them, and that you can report behaviors such as solicitation of personal information and offering overpayment. You don't owe a suspicious buyer an explanation. Leave the item listed for genuine buyers.

Worked example: a buyer who "already paid"

In this chosen example, a buyer messages about a $120 bike: "Sent $150 by mistake, can you send $30 back before I collect?" with a screenshot attached. Following the steps: you open your own payment app and see no incoming payment. You don't send anything, stop replying and report the buyer. The bike stays listed. If the payment had appeared in your account, any overpayment would be returned through that same app, not by a separate transfer.

Common mistakes

• Accepting a screenshot or email as proof.
• Sending a "refund" before confirming the original payment.
• Reading out a verification code to prove you're real.
• Moving the chat to text or email because the buyer insisted.
• Clicking a link to "receive" a payment.

The buyer scams manual covers scams on other platforms.

Trust your own account

Only money you can see in your own account, opened by you, counts as paid. Keep the chat on Marketplace, never share codes and report anyone who pushes you to act on a payment you can't see.