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Man sells his couch on Facebook Marketplace. Then Zelle flags the payment for being too high. Then he learns he’s been bamboozled
Yahoo Tech • • technology
Key Points:
- ICU nurse Mike lost $300 in a Facebook Marketplace scam involving a fake buyer who pressured him to send money via Zelle to release a supposed payment flagged as fraudulent.
- The scam involved a spoofed email appearing to be from Zelle, convincing Mike to send $300 more to receive $600, but the money was never returned.
- This type of overpayment or fake "business upgrade" scam is common on peer-to-peer platforms, with Zelle fraud claims increasing by $165 million between 2021 and 2022 according to the FTC.
- Facebook advises against using Zelle for Marketplace transactions, recommending Facebook Pay instead for its buyer and seller protections, while Zelle warns users to only send money to people they know personally.
- Despite criticism and blame in the comments, Mike shared his story as a cautionary tale, highlighting how even reasonable people can fall victim under stressful conditions like extreme heat.
