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Beware of Facebook scammers! This strange 'FedEx agent' scam has already swindled innocent people out of money
We here at the Seniors Discount Club love to take advantage of a good bargain – whether we’re buying or selling. That’s why we regularly browse sites in search of good deals on everything from clothes to furniture and appliances.
One site we regularly look at is Facebook Marketplace. It’s a fantastic way to declutter your home and get rid of stuff you no longer need or want. It's also a great platform for people who are looking to buy second-hand items at a fraction of the cost of purchasing them new.
However, as with any online marketplace, there is always the risk of encountering scammers and dishonest sellers.
One scam that has been making the rounds recently is the ‘FedEx agent scam’, which has already duped several innocent victims out of their cash. A young mother from Sydney recently shared her story after she was almost scammed by someone on Marketplace who was posing as a potential buyer for one of her items.
The mum, Danise, was approached by the con artist posing as a buyer who quickly started asking her for money as an ‘insurance policy’.
The exact message Danise received from the Facebook scammer. Credit: Facebook
Danise shared several screenshots of the bizarre incident with reporters. She said that although their conversation started normally, Danise started getting the feeling that the person behind the other account wasn’t to be trusted.
They approached her to inquire about the availability of the baby rocker she was selling. She told them it was still up for grabs, and the con artist acknowledged the listed price and told Danise they’d buy it.
However, the con artist then said they were too busy to pick up the item themselves. In the first screenshot, which you can see above, the scammer supposedly wanted to send a FedEx letter carrier to Danise’s home to pay for the rocker and collect the item.
Danise, on the other hand, wanted to help and asked if the buyer lived close by. ‘Maybe I can drop it off if you are,’ she responded.
But the con artist ignored her offer and sent another message about FedEx.
Please be wary of scammers! Credit: Facebook
Danise said that this is the moment when she should’ve realised something was off. ‘People in the area are usually really nice, so you’d always give them the benefit of the doubt.’ She shared.
Instead of calling out the ‘buyer’ on their attempts at scamming, she agreed to what they wanted.
‘Okay, sure if that’s easier for you,’ she wrote. When asked for her personal details, she gave them to the scammer and asked if the FedEx courier could arrive at 11 AM.
Don’t give out your personal information to anyone online. Credit: Facebook
When the con artist subsequently demanded money, Danise finally put her foot down. ‘The shipping costs are in my account, but there is an envelope insurance cost that you will have to pay,’ the ‘buyer’ wrote.
This, of course, confused Danise. In the screenshot above, the con artist tried to explain that the insurance would act as ‘protection’ just in case the item got lost in transit. This is when Danise said, ‘Sorry I won’t do this. The item is only $20.’ She didn’t respond to any of the dodgy messages after that.
In her post, she mentioned that she had already reported this person to the authorities, but is warning others that these con artists can just set up new profiles and do the same thing all over again to unsuspecting victims.
It also looks like this scam has been around for some time, according to this Reddit post from one year ago.
Well, there you have it, dear members. Always be careful of giving out personal information or bank details online. There are risks involved when transacting with strangers online. That’s why it’s important to be vigilant and aware of the various scams doing the rounds on the internet!
