Facebook Marketplace scammer asking for deposits, taking off with the cash, Vancouver business owner warns
The owner of a vintage furniture store in Vancouver’s Chinatown is warning about a Facebook Marketplace scammer who’s asking buyers for deposits and taking off with the cash.
Liliana Faisca sources much of the inventory at Relove Furniture online. When she spotted two items on the popular buy-and-sell platform that would appeal to her eclectic clientele, she messaged the seller.
“They didn’t even ask me at first for a deposit. It was a little bit later on they were like, 'Oh I’m getting so much interest in the item, would you mind sending a deposit, and that way I could mark it sold for you,'” Faisca tells CTV News. .
It’s a request she says is common on Facebook Marketplace.
“I’ve probably send over a hundred different deposits in the past, and it’s never been an issue,” Faisca said.
So she e-transferred $100 to the seller as a deposit for the $450 items. The day before she was supposed to pick them up, the seller’s Facebook page disappeared. When Faisca called the cell number she’d been given and it was out of service, she realized she’d been scammed.
“It wasn’t a great feeling,” she said. Faisca got her $100 back after disputing the e-transfer through her bank. And she posted to Instagram to warn others in the vintage community about the scammer.
That’s when she learned she wasn’t the only victim.
“All the comments are filled with people that have been scammed by the same person,” she said.
That doesn’t surprise Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison.
“They are slippery, they’re prolific. They succeed because they’re able to dupe people. They ghost them and change their identities,” he said.
That’s why police warn against sending deposits to hold items being advertised on digital marketplaces.
“If you’ve got someone who’s pressuring you to e-transfer you the money or give money before you’ve met them or seen the product – that’s a red flag. And it’s somebody you shouldn’t do business with,” Addison said.
Faisca has become far less trusting of sellers on Facebook Marketplace.
"I’m definitely more diligent in looking at the person’s online profile and verifying if it’s a legitimate purchase,” she said.
The small business owner recommends buyers check to see how long a profile has been active, what else the person has sold and to ask for a video of the item they’re interested in, to prove it actually exists.
After doing her due diligence, Faisca says for the right vintage item, she’ll still send a deposit.
“After that happened to me I was definitely more hesitant to send deposits to people,” she said. “But I also realized I was missing out on a lot of great pieces that then I would see somebody else had. And I was like, well, no risk, no reward, right?”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
BREAKING Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Fire engulfs old Edmonton municipal airport hangar
A historical hangar at the former Edmonton municipal airport beside the NAIT main campus was on fire Monday night.
RCMP uncovers plot to sell drones and equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a ploy to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.