Even if you don’t want to buy anything, you can’t avoid the marketplace on Facebook. Again and again seemingly good offers land in the timeline – often new iPhones at insanely low prices. star-Research revealed: There are probably no good intentions behind this.
It’s no secret: Anyone who sees coveted goods at low prices on the Internet should be careful. This is the case with classified ads, this is the case with unknown online shops and it is apparently the same with Facebook. But the amount of allegedly fraudulent offers on the meta-platform is overwhelming, like star-show research. Over a period of several weeks, the editorial team observed various advertisements, reported them and submitted them to the police. And what happened?
iPhone 14 Pro Max almost 1000 euros below new price
An iPhone 14 Pro Max costs at least 1449 euros from Apple. On the price comparison platform it is still around 1000 euros. Quite different on Facebook: Anyone looking for the device here in a city like Hamburg will get countless advertisements for supposedly new devices at prices starting at 500 euros, sometimes even just 300. But you can often even save yourself the search, because Facebook flushes the supposedly unique ones Opportunities regularly in the timeline, even if you’re romping around on Facebook without any interest in buying.
If you click on the offers, it looks good at first. Often there are no manufacturer photos, but real pictures of devices, sometimes with the packaging or even documents that should show, for example, that the object of desire comes from a contract extension and you want to pass it on at a reduced price in new condition. Small objection: Anyone who currently signs a contract with O2 only pays 36 installments of 36 euros for the hardware, i.e. 1296 euros. Passing the iPhone through for less than 500 euros would be economic nonsense.
iPhones of the latest generation can nowhere be found as cheaply as on Facebook. Unfortunately, it is very unlikely that the goods will ever arrive after a purchase.
© star / Christian Hensen
Sellers trade further down without being asked
The problem: You only know for sure if it is a scam when the money is gone. So testing that is most likely associated with a loss. Just this much: If you write to the people who sell such a cheap device, you will quickly receive answers, photos and in many cases even better prices without being asked. Unfortunately, the locations for collection are then often more than 100 kilometers away, so it is tempting to ask for delivery. It is at least striking that two out of three profiles with which the star was in negotiations a few weeks ago have since disappeared completely from Facebook.
So there are at least strange profiles and remarkably good offers – a well-known mix that can also be found on other platforms. On Facebook, it takes a surprisingly long time to find an ad with a trustworthy and older profile with friends and pictures. Even with the high-priced ads, you should be careful.
When asked, Facebook says the following about the research and specific examples of offers that have also been submitted to consumer advocates and police departments: “Unfortunately, there may be fraudulent ads on Marketplace. Basically, it’s like this: if you see something that you want a scam, you should stop communicating with the buyer or seller and instead report the ad or the seller.” Additionally provides Facebook help pages available that describe identifying features of fraudulent activity. Facebook recommendation: cash only, personal delivery only. Easier said than done.
Facebook hardly reacts to reports – and leaves offers online
The opportunity to report profiles has star but used in the course of the research. An offer from Hamburg was selected for this, which promises an iPhone 14 Pro Max for 520 euros, immediately available and of course in new condition. The bidder is said to be a woman named Patricia, and the account has been registered since 2022. As if the price weren’t strange enough, visiting her profile also raises big questions. Why does a light skinned woman in her 50s have no friends, just a French language entry and three identical reels showing a black man? One step further: If you start the image search on the profile picture of the woman, you will find what you are looking for very quickly and with just one click. “Patricia” is actually Marie-Cécile Plessix, CEO of AXA.
A perfect scenario for the report – three clicks and Facebook knows that the offer is at least conspicuous. Then it’s time to wait. After about 24 hours, Facebook reports again: “We have not removed the ad,” it says briefly. It could not be determined that the offer violated the trading guidelines and therefore not traded. A week later, the alleged Axa director’s cheap iPhone can still be found. In case of doubt, therefore, for the accused. Why Facebook decides like that was dem star not yet explained on request.
The assessments of experts also show that the selected offers could be fraudulent. “Ultimately, we can only warn against such purchases,” summarizes the Bavarian consumer advice center. She explains: “In our opinion, you always have to be very careful with such offers. Tempting bargains, especially with branded goods, are often not real. And you can also find fake offers on marketplaces that work just like fake shops. That means you can Don’t check the sellers any further here, as they are supposed to be private sellers.” So the tips: Only cash, only personal delivery.
Police warn of bargains – and Facebook groups
The police showed great interest in the investigation. Chief Inspector Daniela Dässel says that star: “Especially in online business, a healthy distrust is generally appropriate and a few basic rules of conduct must be observed. Fraudsters in particular are constantly developing new creative tricks and ideas.” She even expands the circle of potentially dangerous places on Facebook and writes that private and sometimes public groups on Facebook where trading takes place “promote or enable criminalized business in a targeted manner.” However, she considers a large part of the marketplace advertisements to be serious – but with exceptions.
“Regarding the examples you have mentioned, I can say so far that the price of the goods, which is in some cases well below market value, should make potential interests critical. It is conceivable that the goods were stolen or that no corresponding goods actually exist, or to be sent afterwards. Anyone who makes an advance payment here may be left with their expenses without receiving the ordered goods,” she writes.
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The following tips from the State Criminal Police Office of North Rhine-Westphalia are therefore not surprising: Check seller profiles, approach them critically at low prices, do not pass on any data, do not pay in advance without buyer protection (transfer, PayPal friends) and no negotiations outside of the chosen platform. Where possible, a seller’s ratings should always be included in the purchase decision – unfortunately Facebook does not offer such a function.
There will be bargains on the Facebook marketplace. In the furniture categories, for example, or in clothing. However, if you are looking for the latest technology there at the lowest possible price, you should proceed with extreme caution. The amount of suspected fraudulent offers is huge and within the scope of the star-Research has not been able to reduce them with justified reports.