Facebook Marketplace Buyer Email Scam
A fake buyer claims to have paid through an email service and asks you to confirm a fee or send the 'difference' before any real money arrives.
By the Scam or Safe Editorial TeamResearched & reviewed for accuracyQuick verdict
How this scam works
You list an item on Facebook Marketplace and a keen buyer appears almost instantly, offering the full asking price. They cannot collect in person but will "send a courier," and they pay via an email that confirms the money is on its way, you just need to cover the courier or verify your account first. For sellers, this is one of the most common marketplace traps, and it turns your eagerness to sell against you.
The emails are forgeries. No payment has been made; the messages imitate a payment service or the marketplace to create false confidence. The real objective is either to make you send the item without payment, to extract a "courier" or "verification" fee, or to phish your banking details on a fake payment page. Some versions push you toward instant-transfer apps whose payments cannot be reversed.
The reliable defence is to keep everything on the platform, confirm funds in your own account before releasing goods, and treat any request to pay a fee in order to "receive" a payment as a scam. Legitimate buyers do not ask sellers to pay to get paid.
Not sure this matches what you received? Compare it with the PayPal Payment Pending Scam or the Fake E-Transfer Scam, browse the Marketplace Scams guides, or paste the exact message into our free scam checker.
By the numbers
Step by step: how the scam unfolds
- An instant, generous buyerSomeone offers full price fast, cannot meet in person, and proposes to arrange a courier for pickup.
- A fake payment emailYou get a forged email claiming payment is sent or held, styled to look like a payment service or the marketplace.
- A fee to "release" fundsThe email says you must pay the courier, upgrade your account, or verify it before the money lands.
- You pay or ship firstYou either send a fee out of pocket or hand the item to a courier before any real money arrives.
- The payment never comesThere was no payment; you are left out the item, the fee, or both.
Example message pattern
This is a fictional, anonymised example used to illustrate the pattern. It is not a verified real message, and any names are used only to show how the scam typically reads.
Why this is a red flag: An emailed 'payment confirmation' that asks you to send a fee or refund before money is in your account.
A real-world scenario
An illustrative example
Tomas sold a bike on Marketplace to a buyer who paid "instantly" and arranged a courier. An email that looked like a payment service said the funds were held and would be released once Tomas paid a small courier insurance fee, which the buyer promised to include in the total.
Tomas checked his actual bank and payment accounts: nothing had arrived, and there was no such thing as a fee to receive money. The email was fake, engineered to make him pay a scammer before the fictitious payment "cleared." He declined, relisted the bike, and reported the buyer. This is a fictional but representative example.
Red flags to watch for
- A buyer who insists on paying by email service instead of the platform
- An emailed 'confirmation' you cannot see in your real account
- A request to pay a shipping, insurance, or release fee first
- Overpayment with a request to refund the difference
- Pressure to ship quickly before the money clears
Variations to watch for
Overpayment refund
The "buyer" claims to have sent too much and asks you to refund the difference before the fake payment unravels.
Verification-code phish
A "buyer" asks for a code sent to your phone "to confirm you're real", actually hijacking an account in your name.
Off-platform move
They push to WhatsApp or email and to an irreversible instant-transfer app, away from marketplace protections.
Fake buyer-protection page
A link leads to a spoofed payment page that harvests your card or bank login.
What to do
- Keep the conversation and payment inside the platform where possible
- Confirm money has actually cleared in your own account before shipping
- Decline requests to pay any upfront fee to 'release' funds
- Report the buyer and block them
How to verify safely
- Keep communication and payment on the marketplace; be wary of buyers who push to email or chat apps.
- Confirm money has actually arrived in your own account before shipping or handing over an item.
- Never pay a fee to "release" or "receive" a payment, that is not how getting paid works.
- Do not share verification codes with buyers; a genuine buyer never needs a code sent to your phone.
- Prefer in-person, cash-safe handovers in public places for local sales where possible.
If you already clicked or replied
- Do not log in on any page linked from the email
- Change your password if you entered login details
- Contact your bank if you sent any money or shared card details
- Report the scam to the platform
What not to do
- Do not send any fee to release a payment
- Do not refund an 'overpayment' you never actually received
- Do not move the deal to email or text to bypass platform protections
Similar scams
PayPal Payment Pending Scam
This scam shows a fake 'payment on hold' message claiming funds will be released once you ship an item or confirm details, but no real payment exists.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Fake E-Transfer Scam
This scam sends a fake e-transfer notification linking to a phishing page that imitates your bank's login to steal your online banking details.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Wrong Number Text Scam
This scam starts with a friendly 'wrong number' text, builds a casual conversation over time, and eventually steers you toward a fake investment.
Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Frequently asked questions
Why does the buyer want to use email instead of the app?
The email looks like it is from PayPal. Is it genuine?
Is overpayment ever legitimate?
How can I sell more safely on Marketplace?
Sources & further reading
The figures and guidance above draw on publicly available data and advice from fraud-prevention authorities. Always confirm current reporting details through official government sites.
- Fraud that starts on social media, US Federal Trade Commission
- Shopping online safely, FTC Consumer Advice
- Buying and selling scams, Australian Scamwatch
Last reviewed June 2026 · Written & reviewed by the Scam or Safe Editorial Team