In September, a man was robbed and fatally shot after attempting to sell property through Facebook Marketplace in Texas –– and security experts are sounding the alarm on the risks of using this convenient online shopping platform.
“Take what happened to me and my family as a learning lesson for everyone,” the wife of the killed man told KTRK. “Don’t trust people. Be careful.”
Facebook Marketplace is a popular way for people to get great deals from local sellers at prices that are lower than retail value, but you can’t guarantee the legitimacy of sellers’ offers, and bad actors know this. Previously, robbers posing as interested buyers have used Facebook Marketplace in New York City to steal sneakers, in Atlanta to steal a PlayStation and in California to steal a watch.
In 2025, Jason Sattizahn, a former Meta employee and researcher, gave a Senate testimony statement that accused Marketplace of deprioritizing safety for buyers and sellers, citing a statistic that 9% of Marketplace users reported at least one negative experience in the past month.
Meta, Facebook’s parent company, did not respond to HuffPost’s questions about Sattizahn’s safety criticisms.
The easiest way to avoid getting scammed or physically harmed is to avoid using Facebook Marketplace altogether. “There’s risk involved with this and very little verification,” said Eva Velasquez, CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center. “Don’t use it if you don’t have to.”
At the same time, Facebook has millions of monthly users and its Marketplace exchange platform remains one of the most popular ways for people to sell or buy items in their neighborhoods. If you intend to use it, there are certain risks you should at least assess to be safer while navigating the platform.
“You’re entering into a private transaction with a private seller,” Velasquez said. “Just because it’s ubiquitous and available doesn’t mean it isn’t without risk. … You need to be guarded in these transactions, both for your financial safety and your physical safety.”
How To Stay Safer While Buying And Selling On Marketplace
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Choose a public meetup spot in daylight hours.
Be wary of any Marketplace users who refuse to meet up in a public area. Find out if your city has an established “safety zone” for online transactions with strangers. After a New Orleans man was killed trying to sell his dirt bike through Facebook Marketplace, the city’s police established “safe exchange zones” under 24-hour surveillance.
Meta itself recommends arranging your meeting for the item “in a public, well-lit area.”
Emily, a New York City resident who asked not to share her full name, said she will purposefully sell items in the daytime. When she previously lived in a large apartment complex, Emily would have buyers come meet in her building’s lobby or outside on the stoop, and then get buzzed in to do a contactless pickup.
That way, “they don’t have to know my exact unit, so that made me feel safer,” Emily said.
Review the seller or buyer’s profile.
Meta also recommends reviewing a user’s profile, so “you can see friends you may have in common, review their Marketplace activity, view their other listings and see any ratings they may have received.”
How a user talks with you is also valuable information. “I was selling a mirror … and then somebody was like, ‘Do you come with the mirror?’ I was like, ‘No.’ Delete,” Emily said. She added that she will review a buyer’s profile to see if they have photos and appear to be a real person before moving forward with a sale.
Avoid users who want to talk off the platform.
Meta advises against “communicating with buyers or sellers privately outside of Facebook.” Velasquez said it’s a red flag if an online user on Marketplace asks for additional information like your email, phone number or password.
“I’ve had some people in the past ask to communicate off of the platform or to get me to text them right away,” Emily said. “In those times, I try to go with my gut. If it feels sketchy, I don’t continue to interact with them.”
Assess the value of the item against the risks.
In this economy of rising everyday costs, it’s understandable how tempting it can be to act upon a good deal you see on Marketplace. But consider if the price of a good deal is worth the risks. For one, a deal that feels too good to be true may be a Marketplace scam, so be wary of high offers from interested buyers.
“The only way to effectively lower your risk to zero of being scammed on Facebook Marketplace is not to go on Facebook Marketplace,” Velasquez said.
Emily, meanwhile, only lists items that are too expensive to “go for free” or too bulky “where it’s convenient to list it for free” and avoid transportation costs.
Emily said she’s aware of the risks of interacting with strangers and weighs the value of what she’s trying to sell against her safety. “If I’m selling something for $5, that’s not worth my life,” she said.
