Edmonton police have noticed a series of frauds taking place through Facebook Marketplace in the last year.
Since May of 2023, police have reported over 40 frauds related to Marketplace in Edmonton alone. These frauds involve the victim buying a ‘new’ product from either Samsung or Apple, only to discover after purchase that the product is fake.
Police have noticed the scammers using receipts to lull the victim into a false sense of security.
“Over the past three months, there has been an explosion in these frauds,” said detective Chapman Lee. “We urge anyone that is looking to make a purchase of a personal electronic device over Facebook Marketplace to be extra diligent to ensure that the item is legitimate.”
Citizens purchasing items through Marketplace are advised to look at the seller’s profile. In the case of scams and fraud, the seller’s profile is usually new with little to no activity.
“In addition, please use a safe-trading site to conduct any sort of in-person transaction,” said Lee, adding that there are four EPS branches that have designated buy and sell zones in their parking lots.
Anyone with information on the recent frauds are being asked to contact Edmonton police at 780-423-4567.
