I don't get this type of Facebook scam ...

[RussMcB]

Quite often I see a car or trailer advertised on FB Marketplace and the price is enticing, looking like you may have come across a really good deal, like someone is selling someone and they may not know it's worth. Maybe advertised for 60-75% of market value.

Then you message them and they don't respond.

Looking into their profile, you see they may have no friends or places of employment, or something else odd.

So, what's the point? What are they trying to gain? I don't get it.

[CARSHouston]

After responding to a trailer ad and getting a weird reply, I noticed the same trailer photo in three ads in three different Texas cities, just reported them to Fakebook as a scam. Haven't seen them since.

[stonebridge20]

Facebook market place has turned into a sewer worse than eBay.

I posted a car on market place about a month ago and was hacked within 2 hours.

[Rick Kirchner]

I've found this scam across the west with tractors.

First clue is a tractor in Bakersfield that looks like its in south Florida.

I find as many as I can and report them all.

Don't understand the scam either.

[tlracer]

I suspect it's nothing more than the 21st century version of the Nigerian (or substitute any number of other countries) Prince/Businessman/whatever scam email...there's always some fool who is parted from their money way to easily.

The only difference is the scammers have become a little more smart - they have figured we all see a 'too good' offer as being suspect, so they go for 'bottom end of realistic' pricing 'cos we all like a bargain, don't we?

Eventually there will be someone who, in their desperate hurry to get in there first, simply sends off the money...scam done!

[Dave Harmison]

You say they have no info in their profiles.
I think that is very common anymore. Too many creeps, don’t want to give any leads for identity theft, etc.

[jcolley]

I posted a Scion FRS chassis for sale and within 5 minutes had 4 messages. The text in the messages was sent as a picture of a text to evade Facebook's detection schema. The common theme on all of them was to ask for a phone number. I have a few friends from way back who dabbled in the shadier side of tech and they said all they need is a confirmation that a cell number is valid and they can start working on a clone of your SIM card or whatever. So apparently the scam isn't related to money or the item at all, but a way to either phish personal information or steal your cell service discretely.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/pe6zb22Excg7CXXz8

https://photos.app.goo.gl/QcaKvCL9WgjKCdeXA

[Lotus7]

I replied to a couple of tempting vehicle for sale ads with 'huh?' prices; both times I got instant, clearly auto-generated replies asking me to email my interest to an address.
Pretty obvious phishing at that point.

[Steve Demeter]

Buyer beware of anything on FB except for what is local and you can see and inspect before any money changes hands. Especially if the price is stupid cheap.