A Perth resident has put up a sign outside his home to warn people about a Facebook Marketplace scam.
Fraudsters are listing fake items including furniture and HD TVs and asking buyers to pay a deposit to secure the items.
To make the scam seem legitimate, they use real residential addresses and tell buyers they can pay the remainder in cash when they pick up the items.
Frustrated by scammers using his address, the man decided to take action by erecting a sign outside his home.
‘We are not selling any items on Facebook Marketplace – You have been scammed,’ the sign reads.
‘We have had over 20+ people (that we are aware of) come to our house trying to buy TVs and couches.
‘We don’t know why they’re using our address, and it’s very concerning.
‘We have reported it to the police and Cyber Crime, and you should.’
Perth residents are fed up with fraudsters using their addresses to scam unsuspecting victims
They also urged victims to report the fraudulent ad and block the associated Facebook account.
One victim shared their experience of trying to buy a 75-inch 4K Samsung TV on Facebook Marketplace, only to be given the resident’s address.
They told 9NEWS that the scammer asked them to transfer a $100 deposit and provided a BSB and account number. This account was traced to an ANZ branch in Melbourne.
Since then, more people have been speaking out about the scam.
One person came forward, saying the scammer asked them to transfer $100 as a deposit and gave them a BSB and account number which was traced to an ANZ branch in Melbourne
Another person, whose address is frequently used by the scammers, asked for advice and mentioned they were considering putting up a sign that said: ‘NO, WE ARE NOT SELLING MATTRESSES ON FACEBOOK.’
‘For the last few months, about once per week, someone will knock on our door saying they are here to buy a mattress,’ they wrote on Reddit.
‘The scammer sends them my house address (as a Google maps image – no text) and also asks the person to pay a deposit to ‘secure it’ as stocks are limited.
‘The people always want to pay on pickup though, and they turn up at my door expecting to purchase a cheap mattress off us.
‘Is there anything we can do?’
Another person whose address is frequently used by the scammers asked for advice, saying they were also considering putting up a sign outside their home
Last year Australians lost $80.2million to social media scams, according to Scamwatch.
Scammers can set up fake profiles on social media, messaging platforms and apps and offer items for sale, which don’t actually exist.
Scamwatch advises to always research the profile behind the listing to check how long the account has been active, how many friends or followers they have and how much activity they’ve had online.
‘Be careful about what information you share on social media,’ the watchdog said.
‘Never send money to a person you have only met online.’
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