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BEWARE: Facebook Marketplace almost cost this woman her life
There's not much we love more than a good bargain (who doesn't, really?), whether we're scoring a sweet deal on groceries or picking up some new clothes for next to nothing.
And in recent years, one of the best places to find these amazing bargains has been Facebook Marketplace.
For those of you who don't know, Marketplace is a platform on Facebook where people can buy and sell items with each other locally. It's like Gumtree, but it's way easier to use because it's already integrated into Facebook. You don't even need to leave the site!
But as convenient and cost-effective as Marketplace can be, there is also a darker side to it that we need to be aware of. Just like any online platform that facilitates transactions between strangers, there is always the potential for scams and fraud.
One woman's recent Facebook Marketplace transaction nearly resulted in her being a victim of human trafficking. Credit: news.com.au.
Case in point: the story of Mallie Taylor, a photographer from Canberra who had a very close call with alleged trafficking while trying to sell some items on Marketplace.
Ms Taylor was trying to get rid of some autumn and winter decor using the platform when she started chatting with one potential buyer who really rubbed her the wrong way.
Despite her listing specifying that the items were 'pick up only', this woman – who claimed to be a mum of two young children – persistently asked if they could meet somewhere 'more convenient' instead.
Screenshots of their exchange were shared to show how insistent this buyer was, despite being told multiple times that pick-up was the only option. At one point, she even offered $5 for delivery!
The potential buyer insisted on meeting Ms Taylor at a 'more convenient' location. Credit: Google Maps.
During their exchange, the potential buyer would also constantly change her mind. 'I will come; please keep the items for me,' the mum begged in one message to Ms Taylor, and in another, she said: 'I'm not coming…'
About two hours later, though, the mum decided to change her mind again, this time saying she was already on her way, asking for Ms Taylor's phone in advance because they have no internet access.
She also said that they should meet at a distant bus stop because she was 'dropping off her kids' there.
Thankfully, Ms Taylor was not the least bit convinced by the woman's story and stood firm, telling her that she would not be going to the location in question.
Ms Taylor reminded her that if she was serious about buying the items, she would have to pick them up at the agreed-upon place, where Ms Taylor's coworkers would be waiting to see her.
At the last minute, the mother decided not to go through with the deal because one of her children started 'crying', and she said she couldn't leave her child.
The buyer did not follow through with the deal because her child was allegedly crying. Credit: news.com.au.
Later, Ms Taylor wrote about her experience on social media with other Marketplace users, and she was promptly warned that the woman's actions were typical of those used in human trafficking.
'Once it was pointed out to me by multiple people that this was a known method of human traffickers, I felt sick to my stomach,' she said.
'I was so glad that I held my ground in making the items pick up only because I had my co-workers there. Coming that close to such a dangerous situation makes you second guess how safe you actually are.'
Ms Taylor said she is now more careful than ever about who she interacts with on Marketplace after what happened to her.
'I am now wary of posting anything on Marketplace, and if I were to come across this again, I would know immediately not to entertain whoever is on the other end of the messages,' she said.
