Facebook marketplace scam. How does it when work?

[Nickbrapp]

Braving using Facebook marketplace to flog a TV unit, been getting a few of these scam messages always the same jist, from a clearly fake account weird name, nothing on the profile etc

The scam goes - ok I will take the item.I am busy with work. I will send a UPS Courier to collect the item and he will give you the money in cash


Or - I will send a GLS mailman to your home and use happy post courier to give you the money in cash

How does it work, surely if you’ve not got cash you’re not going to hand over the item, how would the courier be in on it?
What are they gaining?!
How does someone fall for something so fishy?!

[Levin]

I have also wondered about this! Presumably there comes another layer where something happens and they have to change plans. Now you're posting the item out and they'll send you the money. Recently I have been plagued by these messages after trying to sell a laptop, so it must be electronics altogether. To quote the film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels... 'fk it, I think I'll keep it.'

[LeadFarmer]

Some of them work by the seller receiving a fake email supposedly from Paypal saying that payment has been made and is being held in a Paypal holding account until tracking information can be provided by the seller. The seller posts or releases the item but never receives any payment.

[Kiribati268]

They will lead you on, lots of false hope, bad news. Draw it out long enough so you'll do anything to get rid of the damn thing. They'll offer paypal for a variety of excuses, family illness etc, etc.

They pay on paypal, item is collected, refund requested and it will get processed as there's no proof of "delivery"


Sounds silly, but to people not on the ball it works, that's why they still do it.

[clum]

Just had the same scam attempted for a 2.5 M long antique table. The whole thing just felt wrong! This person has no info in their FB profile and does not respond to messages in their profile inbox, only via their buyers/sale page chat. otherwise i might have fallen for this. Not seen this one before, but no courier will carry cash.... that was the red flag for me.

[V41LEY]

I would have thought this was easy to bust the perpetuators if you’re into your detective work.
Put a great advert up for a decent MacBook Pro at a good price. Agree with the buyer that you are OK that you accept the courier will pay cash on collection if that is the modus operandi. If the courier is in on the scam you will have photos, number plates (probably false), and other stuff to take as evidence. If they’re genuine, you’ve already switched the Mac for some old piece of hardware, seal in a box and get people to follow the courier to the drop off point.

[vikingaero]

They often use Contintenal courier brands which don't really exist in the UK - Chronopost (DPD) or GLS (Netherlands but part of Royal Mail).

[Spare tyre]

I don’t have a Facebook account so can’t actually do it, but I think if we all strung these numpties along all the time they’d have less time to scam those who are likely to be scammed

Always fancied sending them to a neighbours house who I don’t like and observing

[LeadFarmer]

I'm currently receiving the same message as the OP
I am ignoring them

[cjs racing.]

This one works this way.

The next step is another message saying you need to pay the couriers insurance fee, before they can collect and pay.

You call the number provided to pay what you think is a few quid, your account gets emptied.