I've never had Facebook, but my wife has it.

I have recently started using her FB account to browse Marketplace ads. (Per previous post here, I'm interested in a project, preferably a 70-73 Firebird.)

I found what looked like a really good deal (suspiciously good) with absolutely no details aside from the ad title.

Warning - these are legit (i.e. not redirected or infected) links to follow, but the sellers/vehicles are nearly assuredly a scam - https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1347932399568429/

I was skeptical of the price/condition mismatch (too good to be true) but out of curiosity I clicked the Seller's info and saw he had 20 or so active ads. One is a DeLorean, also at an unbelievable price... https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/profile/580903822/

I smelled a fish, so I moved on. Saw a similar Firebird later on in Laredo (previous one was in Grand Prairie). That led to the same pics of the same car, but different seller. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/profile/100023754917872/ He's also got 20ish active listings and they're the same pics, but flipped left to right.

Just bringing it here as a warning, for what that's worth, but more as a question for those who may be more familiar with FBM. Is it getting as bad about scams as Craigslist has been? Just disheartening to have to expect to wade thru so much BS everywhere you go...

Yes. It's awful.

I was searching for a used car about 9 months ago. Found several on FBM that were really familiar looking at crazy good prices. Then I would realize someone's copying photos from Autotrader, cars.com, and other sites, posting them as private sales, and hoping someone falls in love and sends a Venmo deposit on a car that the seller doesn't actually own.

With the legit sites, many require private sellers to post VINs or other proof of ownership to avoid these kinds of scams. But CL and FBM are the Wild West.

meggy09 said:

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Welcome to the internet??

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touche, i guess

Not so much a scam, but I'm helping my daughter look for a car and the ones that don't list being a rebuilt title are pretty frustrating. I've gone to look at cars and don't find out it's rebuilt until asking for a CarFax/VIN and I've now wasted hours chatting & driving to look at the car.

drumboy said:

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No so much a scam, but I'm helping my daughter look for a car and the ones that don't list being a rebuilt title are pretty frustrating. I've gone to look at cars and don't find out it's rebuilt until asking for a CarFax/VIN and I've now wasted hours chatting & driving to look at the car.

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It is equally frustrating for sellers, or so I hear. The VGG guy had a mini-rant a couple of weeks ago about tire-kickers who say they want a car then ghost, people that say they are coming to look then ghost, or people that win EBay bids who have no money.

It is no wonder his business model is shifting to raffling cars. He gets his money up front that way

I can promise you, selling is MUCH more frustrating than buying on marketplace. And it's not even remotely close. Once you know what you are looking at/for, buying is not so bad. Other than you have to move fast when a deal pops up.

Jack Boyett said:

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I think the scams are pretty obvious. Nobody is selling a car for half price. Talk to people on the phone and don't go 6 hours to look at something.

Up here in the panhandle, you can tell the scams by the 60' tall trees in the background.

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That one is also very obvious.

OP - they're in Grand Prairie. Look at the pictures. The background looks more like FL or CA. 99% of these scams you can tell based on the background.

I also check for a Texas reg sticker in the front windshield and/or Texas LP. Usually IME when someone hides their plates it's a scam or someone shady I don't want to deal with.

Tim Weaver said:

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If you are using Google chrome, right click on the picture and "search in google lens". It will search that actual photo and find others like it on the web.

Case in point, those photos came from a Bring A Trailer auction last year where the car was bid up to 33k, but not sold. It was also in Chattanooga.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1969-pontiac-firebird-75/



Yes. Scammers are all over FB.

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good suggestion, thanks!

Could be placebo, but I feel like the more of those I've blocked/reported the less scams Facebook pushes to me. Just like their regular instagram/facebook content they are trying to push listing they think you will click.

I haven't seen a blatant one in a while, but lots of ugly beat up trucks/motorcycles that a scammer probably wouldn't want to build their fake listing around anyways.