PORT CHARLOTTE, fla. — Facebook Marketplace scams are on the rise, and one Port Charlotte woman learned this lesson the hard way after purchasing what she thought was a reliable vehicle.
Watch one woman tell senior reporter Emily Young how she lost all her money in a facebook scam:
And she’s not alone. Cyber security company F-Secure conducted a study that found 62% of U.S. Facebook users have encountered a scam on Facebook Marketplace. In just one year, Marketplace scams increased by almost 200%.
After searching for a good deal on a car for months, Tameria Mizell turned to Facebook. When she saw a listing for a 2015 Infiniti QX60 in seemingly perfect condition for $9,000, she went to see it.
"The vehicle looked great, drove great, everything was wonderful," Mizell said.
She even negotiated the price down to $8,500, which seemed like an incredible deal at the time.
But the very next day after driving it home, the dashboard suddenly lit up with warning lights, revealing several different issues with the car.
"It doesn't work hardly at all, all the lights come up on the dash, if I go to push the gas pedal, to drive around someone, there's no power to the car," Mizell said.
When asked if she felt safe driving it, her answer was simple: "No."
She says when she steps on the gas pedal, there is no power to the car, and when it rains outside, it also rains inside her car.
Mizell reached out to the Infiniti dealership in Sarasota to learn more about the vehicle's history.
"I spoke with a gentleman on the phone and he told me the previous owners had brought the vehicle there and the dealership said the vehicle needed work done to it before it was going to be sold, and the previous owners neglected the work," Mizell said.
Records confirm the car was taken to the dealership about a month prior to the sale. According to those records, the owners brought the car in on two separate occasions in February. One of those times was after it had been in an accident, and the owner stated he was unhappy with the repairs that had been done at a garage elsewhere.
Mizell brought the car to a local garage who inspected the car and found an expensive list of issues that needed repair.
Mizell doesn't have the money to fix the problems. The $8,500 she spent represented her entire savings.
"I took a bad slip and fall 2 years ago and I acquired a little bit of money and that's the only bit of money I had...$8,500," Mizell said.
When she tried to get her money back from the seller, she hit another roadblock.
"He said the vehicle was bought as is and there is no refund," Mizell said.
While there is no quick fix for Mizell's situation, she hopes her story will help prevent others from making the same mistake.
The FBI offers several tips for shopping safely on Facebook Marketplace:
- Check out who you're corresponding with. Is it a real profile? Was the profile just created?
- Conduct thorough due diligence, especially when buying vehicles. Check the Carfax report, take it to a garage for inspection,
- and ask detailed questions. Engaging the seller with specific questions about the vehicle is a good way to ensure it's legitimate.
- Stay away from sending money through Facebook.
