A buyer’s payment screenshot, email, or claim that they overpaid is not proof that money has reached you. Before handing over or shipping an item—or sending any money back—open your bank or payment app yourself and verify the transaction there. Never share a verification code with a prospective buyer.
How Facebook Marketplace scams target sellers
There is no single scam behind the warning in this article. Several common tactics rely on the same pressure: persuade you to trust a payment claim before you can independently confirm it, then get your item, your money, or access linked to your phone number.
The Federal Trade Commission advises sellers: “Don’t accept a mobile payment from someone you don’t know.” A buyer’s message, screenshot, or email is not a substitute for checking the account that is supposed to receive the payment. FTC guidance on selling online
Fake payment notice or receipt
A buyer says they paid and sends a screenshot, email, or notification, but you cannot find the transaction by signing in to your payment service directly. The FTC warns that fake payment notifications can be used to make sellers send goods before discovering that no genuine payment arrived.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesDo not follow a link supplied by the buyer to “confirm” a payment. Open the bank or payment app using your usual method and look for the transaction there. A screenshot is not always fake, but it is not independent confirmation.
Overpayment followed by a refund demand
A buyer claims to have paid too much and asks you to return the difference. The payment may be based on a fake receipt, or it may later be reversed. The FTC also describes a check version: the seller deposits a larger check and sends the supposed surplus back before the bank discovers the check is counterfeit.
Do not send a refund or forward money because a buyer says a payment was duplicated or excessive. First establish through your own financial institution whether a real payment arrived and whether it is final. If you cannot verify that, stop the transaction.
Fake check that appears in your balance
A check can make funds appear available before the bank determines it is counterfeit. The FTC says banks usually make deposited check funds available quickly, often within two days, while detecting a fake check can take weeks. Once the bank identifies it, it can remove the money from your account.
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So an available balance—or a casual assurance that the check “cleared”—does not prove that the check is valid. Do not accept a check for more than the asking price and send the difference back.
Verification-code requests
A prospective buyer may say a code is needed to prove you are a real person or to verify your listing. Do not give it to them. The FTC explains that a Google Voice verification code can help someone create a number linked to your phone number, obscuring the scammer’s identity.
Never give a stranger a verification code, even when the request is framed as account, identity, or listing verification.
What to do before completing a sale
- Verify payment independently. Open your bank or payment app directly and confirm the transaction in your own account. Do not rely on a buyer’s screenshot, email, or link.
- Do not refund an unverified overpayment. Do not send money back or forward a surplus while the payment is uncertain or may be reversed.
- Do not ship or hand over the item based on a payment claim. Wait until you have verified payment through the service that should have received it.
- Keep the conversation and records. Use Marketplace messaging where possible, and retain messages, listing details, and payment records.
- Pause if the platform warns you. Meta says Messenger may show warnings about advance shipping payments, instant-payment requests, or suspicious account signals. Treat a warning as a reason to stop and verify—not as proof that every scam will be caught or that every warned-about account is fraudulent.
- Report suspicious activity. Use the platform’s reporting option for a suspicious listing or seller. In the United States, the FTC directs scam victims to ReportFraud.ftc.gov through its consumer guidance; elsewhere, use the appropriate national reporting route.
Meta also describes a related advance-payment scam from the buyer’s perspective: a purported seller requests money before shipment, then stops responding. Avoid paying ahead through an arrangement outside the protections available for the transaction. Which protections apply depends on the Marketplace service and payment method in your location. Meta’s overview of payment scams
How buyers can reduce their risk
Buyers face the other side of the advance-payment problem: someone may appear to be a legitimate seller, take payment before shipping, and disappear. The FTC recommends reviewing the marketplace’s rules because protections differ by site and transaction.
- Review the actual item photos, seller terms, shipping charges, and refund rules before paying.
- Check seller ratings and recent comments, but do not rely on star ratings alone.
- Use a safer payment method and avoid requests to pay outside the applicable marketplace payment process if doing so would give up protections.
- Be cautious when asked to pay before an item is shipped or delivered, especially through an arrangement with no meaningful recourse.
- Report a suspicious listing or seller through the platform.
See the FTC’s guide to buying from an online marketplace for advice on checking marketplace rules and payment protections.
Keep the platform and location in mind
Marketplace features and transaction protections can vary by country and product configuration. For example, Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs says on its Marketplace safety page that “Facebook Marketplace does not process payments on the platform, and transactions are conducted off-platform.” That is a description on a Singapore government page, not a universal statement about every market or current Marketplace checkout feature. The Ministry advises keeping communications in-platform where possible, retaining records, and using the report option on a listing or seller profile. Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs: Facebook Marketplace
The same Singapore page reports 4,550 Facebook Marketplace scam reports in 2023 and 1,138 in 2022. Those are reported counts for Singapore, not global totals, estimates of all scams, or counts limited to fake-payment and overpayment schemes. The page was last updated January 30, 2026.
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For an in-person exchange in Singapore, the Ministry recommends meeting in a public, well-lit place and sharing the meeting plan with someone you trust. This is location-specific safety guidance, not a platform guarantee.
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