A TIKTOKER has flagged a certain phrase that is a dead giveaway for scams.
“Facebook Marketplace is full of scammers that you think are cute, little, innocent grandmas and grandpas,” the original poster said.
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TikToker @self.timer.tori posted a video for her 110,000 followers highlighting the pitfalls of selling products on Facebook Marketplace.
“At least eight people have already tried to scam me in the last two hours,” Tori says in the video.
She explained that she thought potential buyers were coming to her with specific use cases for the item she was selling.
But the message told her that something was amiss.
She said that red flags went up when scammers would write “I’m going to pay you on Zelle, but I’m going to need your email or your phone number so I can Zelle you.”
The poster explained that if you do give out your information, specifically your email address, you’ll likely get a message from a false Zelle customer service account.
The phony account will prompt users to deposit $500 more dollars into your Zelle account to convert your personal account to a “business account”.
Zelle’s website indicates the service does not offer a business account system.
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“If they ask you for your Zelle info, they’re scamming you. If they ask you for your phone number, they’re scamming you. If they ask you for your email, they’re probably scamming you.”
The video has almost 70,000 likes and more than 1,500 comments.
One commenter wrote “cash is Queen up in here! I don’t do Zelle, Venmo, cash app, or money order”.
Another added, “NEVER use Zelle unless it’s with a TOTALLY trusted source.”
The ability to turn your social media account into the central hub of a small business has been one of the great innovations of the 21st century.
Unfortunately, scammers are willing are able to try every trick in the book to take advantage of people trying to make a buck.
