How To Stop Scammers On Facebook Marketplace?

Published on: 19 July 2023 Last Updated on: 03 January 2024

Scammers are everywhere online these days, and it’s important to be aware of the different types of scams that you might encounter when buying and selling items on the Facebook marketplace.

Staying informed about potential scams that might be targeted toward you will help you protect your items, your personal information, and your money.

Our article gives you information on common Facebook marketplace scams and how to stop scammers on the Facebook marketplace.

What Is Facebook Marketplace?

Facebook marketplace is one of today’s most popular selling platforms for both used and new goods. Facebook users can easily navigate the marketplace to find items in their area and items that are available for shipping. It doesn’t charge any kind of fee for this service, which is part of what makes the platform so popular.

Common Facebook Marketplace Scams

As with any type of selling platform, scams are common on the Facebook marketplace. We give you an overview of the most common Facebook marketplace scams you might encounter.

1. Overpayment Scams

Overpayment scams are common both on and off the Facebook marketplace, and these scams involve the buyer claiming to have overpaid for the item by accident. They may try to show proof by providing some kind of receipt or screenshot of payment.

The buyer will then ask that you refund the difference, but once you do this, their original payment will be shown to be false or otherwise not processed. The buyer will then disappear, making off with the money that you sent them as a ‘refund.’

2. False Payment Scams

False payment scams involve the buyer sending you a payment receipt in order to get you to send a package or deliver an item.

These are often screenshots of false payments or utilize suspicious third-party apps. So, it’s important to always use a trusted payment app such as PayPal or Venmo and verify that payment is actually received before you take the next steps in the selling process.

3. Shipping Scams

Shipping scams are very common on most buying and selling platforms, and the Facebook marketplace is no exception. In these scams, a buyer may request that you go ahead and send a package before payment is received.

Alternatively, they may present you with a false payment receipt so that you will send the package. Buyers may also claim that a package was never received, and sellers on the Facebook marketplace may simply take your money and never ship your package.

These scams can be hard to catch at first, so always use common sense and scrutiny when dealing with shipping and receiving packages.

4. Bait and Switch Scams

Bait and switch scams involve the scammer listing a more valuable or popular item on the marketplace, but when you message them about that item, they tell you it has been sold. They may then offer you an item of inferior quality in the hopes that you settle for it and buy it.

5. False Listings

Fake listings, such as listings for apartments or other rentals, and listings that appear too good to be true for valuable items are often the cornerstone of this scam.

In these scams, you may be asked to fill out forms to obtain items or a rental, asked to put down a deposit, or asked to pay a holding fee, only for the rental or item listing to disappear. Then, the scammer vanishes with your money and information.

Tips for Stopping Facebook Marketplace Scammers

The following tips will help stop you from falling for scams when utilizing the Facebook marketplace. Always use caution and common sense when buying or selling online.

Make sure payments are fully received and processed before shipping any product; this stops you from losing the item if a payment turns out to be false.
Never engage with anyone who wants to send payments through sketchy third-party apps and always double-check who owns email addresses.
Always double-check electronics to make sure they are working and be wary of items that appear like they have been stolen.
If the price of something or a product is too good to be true, it likely is.
Never reveal codes that are texted to your phone, and never fill out any kind of form asking for your personal information in order to receive an item.
Always ask for tracking codes or provide tracking codes when shipping and receiving items to prevent false claims of lost packages and to ensure items are actually shipped.

To stop a Facebook marketplace scam for good, open the listing you believe is a scam. Tap on the three dots to open the menu, then navigate to the option that says ‘report listing.’ Tap or click on this, and Facebook will handle the scam listing.

You can also complete this method with the buyer by navigating to the messages exchanged with the buyer. Then, open the same menu by tapping or clicking on the three dots, and select ‘report buyer.’

Making Your Marketplace Experience Safe

Facebook marketplace is a powerful tool to help you buy and sell personal goods to locals in your area, or ship products to those farther away. However, the Facebook marketplace does have its share of scams, and it’s important to be wary as you utilize the platform. Keep your wits about you and remember our tips for stopping Facebook marketplace scammers in their tracks.

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Arnab

Arnab is a professional blogger, having an enormous interest in writing blogs and other jones of calligraphies. In terms of his professional commitments, He carries out sharing sentient blogs.

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The Most Common Reasons Why You Cannot Log In To a Website

Do you know how common it is to be not able to log in to a website? Well, if you know, you wouldn’t worry at all when the site locks you out. There could be many problems that become a reason for such an issue. The good part is? Most of these have common fixes, so stay here as we walk you through the easiest guide on how to regain access to a website If you cannot log in to a website, there can be hundreds of reasons which can be the reasons. But that is not all. Even due to some technical faults, the viewers can not access the websites. 6 Common Reasons For Which You Cannot Log In Even sometimes you have queries like why can't I log in to Facebook on my phone or desktop. This is a common scenario. But when you are facing the problem the first time, you will be scared. Hence the first thing which comes to our mind is accounts are being hacked. But only hacking might be the cause of this problem. Then what are the reasons for which you cannot log in? 1. First Of All, Check Your Internet Connection When I first realized that internet issues could be the cause of can't log in error, I was trying to sign in at Cash App and it wasn’t working. After trying all the possible fixes, I figured out that a faulty internet connection was getting in the way. Typically, it helps to load a google page and see if the results come up. That would indicate how smoothly your internet network is working. 2. You May Be Using An Incorrect Username Login credentials are obviously important, and a website may not be giving you access because you are trying to log in using the wrong username. You may have made a mistake, put in the wrong character, missed an alphabet, etc. The website needs an exact username to let you pass, and therefore, it won’t work unless you provide the right information. And you will see the can't log-in signs flashing in front of you. 3. Too Many Attempts Can Log You Out If you put in a wrong password or a username, you will be prompted to try again. However, after 3 to 4 wrong inputs, the website may lock you out for security reasons. This is to help prevent a hacker from repetitively trying to log in without valid information. But these security issues sometimes become the cause of can't login errors. 4. Violation Of Site Policies Can Have You Suspended Some websites have more strict policies and terms of use, especially the ones set by the government, such as myhealthplan account, etc. When a user violates any of the rules and regulations, they may be suspended temporarily or permanently from accessing the account due to the can't log in error. Some websites do not tell you the policy that you have violated, whereas others will warn you once or twice before banning your account. 5. The Website May Just be Down For Maintenance Websites are maintained online and have complicated operations at the back end. They are frequently taken down for maintenance. So, when you are trying to log in, and the website is undergoing maintenance work, there are solid chances that you will not be able to get access. This cannot log in issue is less common with big websites. There are also a few others that actively inform their visitors that the website is not available for the time being. 6. Incorrect Password Can't you log in to any website? The first culprit may be internet connectivity. Then the second one can insert the incorrect password. Yes, this is a very common error. You are recording a separator password. But during the login, you are given another password. As a result, the website does not let you access your account or website. How to recover it? This is very simple: always use the recovery protocol to recover the account details when you can not log in to your website. A Simple Hack Before You Go! Although enabling cookies or checking that Java is enabled works for fixing some glitches in the website and login issues, there is one tried and tested method that never disappoints: Try clearing your cache and cookies! If Facebook is hacked cannot log in to the account. Then the cookies are sometimes the main culprits. Hackers can easily track the locations of the devices with the cookies, and hacking is easy when your locations are easily findable. This is something that even the can't log in due to customer support services often suggest when you are not able to access a website or online account. Or when only a portion of the website is available. This may be due to technical reasons. Once you clear the cookies and the cache, anything that is messing up the website will be automatically cleared, and you will have a blank slate to work with. Read Also: How do you choose an SEO-friendly theme for your website? How To Find The Fastest Available Internet In Your Area? 7 Advantages of Using Website Design Templates Fax Over the Internet

How to Become a Hacker: X Steps to Follow

A hacker is a professional who focuses on the security mechanism of your network systems and computers. Therefore, don’t think of hackers as unethical people who break into the security system of your phone or computer to steal your valuable information. It is only that some people use their expertise in the wrong ways. Here are some 12 steps on how to become a hacker. 1. Learn UNIX-Like Operating Systems UNIX-like and UNIX are the operating systems of the internet. You can use the internet without knowing UNIX but you can never become a hacker without having the UNIX knowledge. There are several forms of UNIX-like OS but the most popular one is Linux. You can run Linux hand in hand with MS Windows on your machine. You need to download Linux and install it on your computer. The other UNIX-like OS is BSD systems that comprise of DragonFly BSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, and FreeBSD. You have to understand the difference between BSD and Linux. Even though we have other solutions like Open Indiana, it is good to rely on Linux, BSD, and MacOS because they are more popular and have several programs for your use. 2. Write HTML You have to build your proficiency in HTML especially if you are not a programming professional. HTML is used to code everything that you see on any website such as the design components, images, and pictures. You start by learning how to make a basic homepage and grow from there. You can open the source information in your browser to see the examples of HTML. You can either write basic HTML in simple text or processing programs like Notepad. 3. Learn the Programming Language If your goal is to become a hacker, you need to learn programming languages to write your masterpiece. The best language to start with is python because it is well documented, has a clean design, and relatively kind for beginners. Apart from being an excellent language for starters, python is flexible, compelling, and suites large projects well. Once you get into serious programming, you will have to learn Java, JavaScript, and PHP C, and C++. These programming languages will give you the right background that will help you to develop hacking skills. 4. Think Creatively Once you have the basic skills, you need to start thinking artistically. A hacker is like an engineer, philosopher, and artist all rolled up into one person. These professionals believe in mutual responsibility and freedom. The world has so many fascinating problems that are waiting for answers. Hackers delight in solving these problems, exciting their intelligence, and sharpening skills. Hackers have a broad range of intellectual and cultural interests outside hacking. Play as intensely as you work and work as intensely as you play. For most hackers, the boundaries between art and science or work and play tend to merge or disappear into a high level of creative playfulness. You can enroll in martial art training if you want to learn how to become a hacker. 5. Learn to Appreciate Solving Problems Hackers believe that it is a moral responsibility to solve problems. Once you solve a particular problem, put is in the public domain so that you can assist other people to solve the same issue. However, you will not be giving away all your creative product. You will begin to command a lot of respect when you share the knowledge that you have accumulated over time. 6. Learn Recognizing and Fighting Authority The main enemies od hackers are drudgery, boredom, and authority figures who use secrecy and censorship to stifle the freedom of information. Monotonous works discourage the hacker from hacking. You can embrace hacking as a way of life by rejecting the ‘normal’ concepts of property and work. Instead, choose to fight for common knowledge and equality. 7. Be Competent Any person who spends a lot of time on Reddit is able to write up a ridiculous cyberpunk username and pose to be a hacker. However, the internet is an excellent equalizer that values competence over posture and ego. Spend a lot of time to work on your craft and not the mage and you will gain a lot of respect quickly instead of modeling yourself around the superficial things that people think around hacking in the popular culture. 8. Write Open-Source Software Take time and write programs that other hackers believe are useful and fun. Give your fellow hackers the sources of these programs for their use. Hackers respect individuals who have written capable programs and share with their colleagues for use. 9. Help in Testing and Debugging Open-Source Software Reputable open-source authors know that good beta-testers are worth their weight in dollars. These beta-testers know how to localize problems well, describe symbols, can tolerate bugs in quickie releases, and are more than willing to apply few simple diagnostic routines. Try to get a challenge that is under development that you have interest in and strive to become a good beta-tester. 10. Publish Useful Information You also need to gather and filter interesting and useful information into documents or web pages like FAQs lists and avail them. The respect that those who maintain FAQs have is equal to that of open-source authors. 11. Assist in Keeping the Infrastructure Working It is volunteers who operate the hacking culture and the internet’s engineering development. You need to do a lot of unglamorous but necessary tasks to keep everything running. It includes the administration of mailing lists, moderating of newsgroups, maintenance of huge software archives, and the development of RFCs among the other technical standards. You will command a lot of respect by doing all these things with a high level of dedication. 12. Serve the Hacking Culture Itself You will not be able to do this exercise until you have been around for some time. The hacking culture does not have leaders to say but it has tribal elders, culture heroes, spokespeople, and historians. After being in the trenches for a long period, you can develop into one of these. Hackers don’t trust the blatant ego among their tribal elders and hence attaining such fame visibly is dangerous. Instead of striving for it, it is wise to position yourself so that it drops in your lap so that you can be gracious and modest regarding your status. Read Also: How Dangerous Is Ransomware Anyway? Why DRM Is The New Standard For Document Security How To Improve Workplace Security

Top 10 Cybersecurity Features That Are A Must-Have In An Ecommerce Store

Managing an eCommerce store is quite a task these days. Given the fact that cybercrimes are mounting, following cybersecurity best practices is paramount. Back in 2020, cybercriminals cost $12 billion off the table to companies around the world. When it happens, a cyberattack harms a company, directly and indirectly, affects its reputation in its potential customers' eyes. The losses that happen because of this can only be estimated, not counted. A concrete solution is necessary for businesses to keep themselves protected at all times. We have the solution to it but, before we discuss that, let us first understand why we need to safeguard our eCommerce store? Significance of eCommerce Website Security in 2021- In 2021, most businesses are working in the online framework. Their revenues heavily depend on their websites. If they do not emphasize their website's security, their customer base and reputation will get vulnerable. As an eCommerce website owner, you need to comply with certain payment guidelines such as PCI/DSS (Payment Card Industry - Data Security Standard) to ensure smooth payment transactions. Moreover, you need to install security protocols to secure your data integrity. They will not only protect your customer data from hackers but also keep the search engines satisfied. Thus, security is essential for your eCommerce website. 10 cybersecurity features every eCommerce Website Must Have- 1: Employ the two-factor Authentication Method: Does not matter how frustrating it may sound. As long as you are keeping your customer's data secure, every security method is fine. Employing 2-factor authentication may make your customers a bit agitated. They first enter the login credentials and then enter the OTP received on their number to decrease security breaches and hacks drastically. So, employ the process and safeguard your customer accounts. 2: HTTPS Authentication is Must: To obtain HTTPS authentication businesses need an SSL certificate to be installed on a website. Before installation, you need to buy an SSL certificate as they encrypt the data communication between the server and the client. It then passed over a secure network through cryptographic functions (symmetric & asymmetric) so that no cybercriminal can intercept the communication. Out of all the SSL certificates, the EV SSL certificates require a user to undergo a unique validation process to verify his credibility through his name, ID, address, and more. Thus, get an EV SSL to secure your Ecommerce website and obtain the highest validation level. 3: Secure Payment Gateway System by complying with PCI-DSS guidelines: PCI-DSS or Payment Card Industry – Data Security Standard is a body that governs a website's right to maintain an online payment transaction system. If you are a website that sees over six million+ transactions every year, you must be a level 1 compliant but, if your transactions range from 20,000 per year, you are safe as a level 4 client of PCI-DSS. The compliance helps you to secure your payment gateway system and allows you to use a third-party app to accept payments and make refunds on your behalf. 4: A VPN can act as a Night Watchman: When you use public networks such as Wi-Fis to access the site, it is better to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to watch your back and restrict other connections to manipulate the ongoing connection between the server and the client. Without a VPN, hackers can easily manipulate the payment transaction and hack credit and debit card details. VPN will secure your customer's payment transaction even on Wi-Fi and keep their sensitive data safe as houses. 5: Use reCAPTCHA to restrict malicious bots: The reCAPTCHA method is extremely effective in keeping hackers at bay. ReCAPTCHA generates random questions to which a bot cannot answer. There are plenty of malicious bots lurking around the internet in hopes of finding an ideal prey for cybercriminals. When they get access to your account, malicious bots can steal information, leak it, or even bring your site down. ReCAPTCHA adds an extensive layer of security that is impenetrable for a code or a bot. It restricts bad guys' entrance by protecting login pages, signup pages, contact form pages, form submission pages, payment gateway pages, etc. 6: Choose a reliable CMS platform: Choosing the right CMS is important for businesses to determine whether an eCommerce website will stay safe. Mediocre CMSs are a big risk to have. They might help you save a few bucks, but you will always be vulnerable to theft. But, CMSs like WordPress and Joomla are renounced entities having customer bases in millions. Moreover, they are regular in updating security patches and always stay a step ahead of the bad guys. The only thing you need to do is keep them updated. 7: Don't install Unsolicited Extensions and Plugins: Plugins and extensions are necessary to enhance your website's reach. They allow you access to multiple tools and features on the internet. But not all plugins are safe to install. These days due to rising cybercrimes, you must be aware of what you're installing or adding. Cybercriminals can engrave malicious codes in the plugins, and when a user installs it, they get access to his site. Before installing any plugin, make sure that its source is known. Check for its review and ratings across the internet. Also, check its performance reports and badges for further inquiry and self-satisfaction. 8: Site Security Audit: Site security auditing does not interest a lot of merchants but it is essential for their survival. Site security auditing includes checking whether the anti-virus is working appropriately and security protocols are repelling attacks or not. As a merchant, you must initiate site auditing from time to time. It will help you prevent attacks, fix bugs and technical glitches. If detected early, some security issues can be repelled; otherwise, they may harm the website if they stay for longer periods. So, keep auditing your website at regular intervals of time. 9: Install a Firewall: If you own a web application, the firewall can benefit you immensely. Web Application Firewall or WAF protects the website or web app by analyzing the traffic between the application and the internet. A firewall protects the user data, the application from XSS (cross-site scripting), SQL injection and cross-site request forgery, etc. A firewall is the need of the hour to suffice the mounting cyberattacks and help sustain the business. 10: Create Data Backups: In today's tech world, data is more important than cash in your wallet. Cash can be earned by you again but data once lost cannot be retrieved in the same proportion. For businesses, data is their lifeline. They thrive on data and channelize their operations accordingly. Since it is immensely important, protecting it is quite a task for businesses as cybercriminals are always on the lookout for data. The best way to protect your data is by creating a copy of it and save it on the cloud. Cloud allows you to access your data anywhere at any time, making it extremely reliable. To Conclude: eCommerce is booming every day. New ways of marketing, selling, and attracting are getting invented to make life convenient for customers. On the hind side, hackers also build new ways to capture as much data as possible. They employ bots and bugs to do the dirty work. Bots can enter your website and steal customer data, whereas bugs can get attached to plugins and gain access once you install them. Keeping track of what you are installing, where you are visiting, and who you are allowing access to is of paramount importance. But everything can get simple if you follow these ten steps, as they will help you frame a robust website security system. Read Also: Everything You Need To Know About PKI In Cybersecurity Five Tips to Make Sure Your Security Software Is Actually Secure Why DRM Is the New Standard for Document Security Top 10 Computer Security Mistakes

How To Stop Scammers On Facebook Marketplace?

What Is Facebook Marketplace?