Facebook scams

MayBee70

Witzend

My FB at the moment is awash with those ‘sadly having to close our beloved business’ ads, offering what look like lovely jumpers and bags etc.,, for knockdown prices. Recently I’ve also seen one for men’s clothing!

R4 has a series of podcasts about them - ‘Scam Secrets’ inc. ‘The Knitted Cardigan Scam’ .
Well worth a listen!

Re spelling clues, I’ve noticed that some of those purporting to be based in e.g. London or Oxford, are offering ‘cozy’ sweaters.

I wouldn’t know because I’ve been banned from Facebook. Alas it seems that the sort of scammers that I was constantly reporting are still allowed on the site. I suppose if it carries on like this the scammers will only have themselves to scam to….

It says much about Facebook that they prefer these scammers to advertise their wares rather than ordinary people who want to be members to keep in touch with friends and family, or keep up with local events. I think another Gransnetter got banned for reporting scammers, too.

I've reported some suspicious adverts before now, wonder if I'll be next?

I have been scammed once so always check on TrustPilot but a close friend, who unfortunately is succumbing to memory loss, has suffered losses on many occasions. Why does Facebook not filter out the scammers? We have recognised their ads so why can’t they?

In reading this it seems we would be better going to a shop and paying in cash for goods That would be great but unfortunately our delight in buying on-line has killed off the High Street.
Actually, I have decided not to buy clothes on-line. I am 5ft nothing fits, not even those in the petite range. Clothing sizing is so erratic you cannot rely on getting an article that fits.

I have had emails regularly over many months , telling me that my storage is 97% full, then 98% full, and then at the weekend one saying it was 99% full, that I could no longer send emails, and photos and documents were being deleted. However, here I sit, posting on GN, photos etc, intact. I've been told this is a scam to get you to buy more storage that you probably don't need, or perhaps to get bank details.

If it helps anyone - if you see something you like the look of in a FB ad, find the trading name of it and put it into an eBay search, and you will probably find it significantly cheaper.

As an example, Magic Cloths (or similar - you'd need the exact name) are something like £20 on FB, but two for £5 on eBay. There are currently some sort of metallic dishcloths currently going for £20 (plus postage) for a pack of ten, which costs about £3 on eBay. People are obviously buying them on Alibaba or somewhere and trying their luck, and it must be worth their while.

The eBay ads are exactly the same as the FB ones. As Christmas gets closer there will be more and more 'present ideas' which can be bought much cheaper elsewhere, too. If you discover them being sold very cheaply you might think that the quality is likely to be reflected in the price, or you might decide that a couple of quid is enough to pay for a duster, but at least you are going into it with your eyes open.

Witzend

My FB at the moment is awash with those ‘sadly having to close our beloved business’ ads, offering what look like lovely jumpers and bags etc.,, for knockdown prices. Recently I’ve also seen one for men’s clothing!

R4 has a series of podcasts about them - ‘Scam Secrets’ inc. ‘The Knitted Cardigan Scam’ .
Well worth a listen!

Re spelling clues, I’ve noticed that some of those purporting to be based in e.g. London or Oxford, are offering ‘cozy’ sweaters.

I wouldn’t know because I’ve been banned from Facebook. Alas it seems that the sort of scammers that I was constantly reporting are still allowed on the site. I suppose if it carries on like this the scammers will only have themselves to scam to….

My FB at the moment is awash with those ‘sadly having to close our beloved business’ ads, offering what look like lovely jumpers and bags etc.,, for knockdown prices. Recently I’ve also seen one for men’s clothing!

R4 has a series of podcasts about them - ‘Scam Secrets’ inc. ‘The Knitted Cardigan Scam’ .
Well worth a listen!

Re spelling clues, I’ve noticed that some of those purporting to be based in e.g. London or Oxford, are offering ‘cozy’ sweaters.

Reported as SPAM

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

I got the "mum I've been locked out if my phobe, send money" I asked if they were Peter or John, no reply haha. I appreciate the banks reimbursing people who have been scammed but it's not victimless we all pay higher bank charges to cover the banks costs

When you run a business (as I do) you get a lot of fake "invoices" from scammers hoping that you will just go ahead and pay them. I keep track of what invoice I expect and keep unpaid accounts in a folder until they come in via email. If I dont get an invoice within a few days of making a purchase or winning goods at auction I phone or email the company. So I know what to expect.

If its not in my folder I dont pay it!

Oopsadaisy1

Elegran the best way to prevent being scammed on FB is to come out of the FB site and go into the official site of theCompany you like.

Don’t click on the FB advert.

If the just look, by mistake, at a FB ad that appears to be from a seller you already use in the real world, it will not scam you directly. Even clicking on the ad to see the price won't expose your financial details unless you tell them. What you don't do is trust an online ad to be genuinely from the firm you know and like, and send off your card or bank A/C number to whoever id asking for it. You close the ad and FB and find the seller's own website, which will have ways to prove to you that it is genuine.

And don't ever trust a "sale" with unbelievable bargains in it. The prices are unbelievable because you shouldn't believe them.

Elegran the best way to prevent being scammed on FB is to come out of the FB site and go into the official site of theCompany you like.

Don’t click on the FB advert.

When buying from what you believe are well-known, trusted sellers on Facebook, watch out for these scams. They are NOT scams by the well-known seller itself, and not often by someone who has infiltrated their well-guarded site, they are by SOMEONE WHO HAS MADE A COPY OF THE GENUINE SITE, CHANGED THE PRICES TO CATCH YOU AND DIRECTED THE MONEY TO THEMSELVES.
There are ways to avoid getting caught. Which has a good page on this - www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-spot-a-fake-fraudulent-or-scam-website

When in doubt use this site. Unlike TrustPilot where some traders pay this site just deals with scams.

www.getsafeonline.org/checkawebsite/

Faierynan

I ordered some clothes on the M and S website. When I went to pay my computer fills in the card number and I put in the security code. This day the computer didn't fill in the card details so I got my card and put it in. Later the same day the bank contacted me and said to cancel my card as I had been scammed. Who can you trust ?

It's not M&S, it's a fake website, I think.

Money Saving Expert alerted people to it earlier this year.

Thanks for that warning Faierynan as I use the M+S website too. This has not happened to me but I’m warned now if the website asks for my details again. I won’t put them in.

I ordered some clothes on the M and S website. When I went to pay my computer fills in the card number and I put in the security code. This day the computer didn't fill in the card details so I got my card and put it in. Later the same day the bank contacted me and said to cancel my card as I had been scammed. Who can you trust ?

Golden Rule never buy off Facebook.

Cossy

Thanks for the warning!

You’re not the only one ever taken in, these scammers make my blood boil and I’ve become really suspicious of everything!

You and me both - ie becoming really suspicious of everything.

I think us older women are also at risk of getting scammed by someone we get to know personally.

What happened to me recently was I'd told a friend (who is the sort of person who knows everyone in this little town I'm in) that I was looking for a particular service and she put me in touch with someone she knows somewhat for it. Cue for him saying he'd do that for appropriate payment - and then it became clear he'd also do unskilled DIY type jobs as well for payment if I wanted.

It started off as per plan - he did whatever and I paid him and I'd thought he'd become a friend. Then a few little red flags came up (eg I paid him to dig up a shrub from my garden and did think to check that a crystal I'd put in the soil - cost £30/£40 was still there. It wasn't. He brought it back - saying he thought it was a stone and had taken it to his home "by accident"). He said subsequently that I'd underpaid him when I gave him some notes to cover the cost of something else - and I believed him and gave him £20-£30 more - and now I suspect he lied and I had given him the correct money.

The crunch came when he knew I'd just swopped my computer for a new one and he asked me if he could "borrow the hard drive from your old one for a few hours - for whatever excuse it was he'd dreamed up". Luckily - I realised that was a lie and it's not advised to let anyone else have your computer hard drive and he would have known that (but obviously hoped I didnt). Luckily - I remembered that I'd input my card details on an email paying for a mini-break elsewhere in the country and he knew I had done that.

Cue for me instantly cancelling both my cards and getting new ones, refusing to loan him my old hard drive very firmly and instantly freezing him straight off as a Facebook friend/blocking his profile/telling the friend who introduced us what he's like (she was full of apologies for inadvertently introducing me to a thief by mistake....).

So - yep....one does even have to watch the odd person that you know personally/be prepared to cut them off if need be and I suspect this is more likely than not to be a case of a younger man trying to steal off an older woman.

There’s a scam post (advert) on FB that is selling bracelets saying the money goes to a donkey/horse rescue. They have used pictures posted by the charity to promote the sale. However, the rescue did not give permission and hasn’t received a penny from the sales. It’s been reported many times but FB won’t take it down. Comments from people such as myself warning people are taken down and we’ve been blocked. It really makes me so angry. FB will give rescues 28 day bans for no good reason yet allow illegal content. 😡

lemsip

facebook scam...... never send off for a free sample of something that you have to PAY postage for! Yes, I did this a few years ago, three lots of £85 went from my accounts in three months before I noticed. The money went to Singapore! I got it back fortunately..
I check my bank balance daily now also.

Me too it was trialing makeup and would be sent the samples every 6 weeks but could cancel any time. They too took £ 85 twice, I only got one £ 85 back because the bank managed to stop that payment the first I did not get back as I had willingly given them my card details. ABC every time now

CariadAgain

Literally just had another email from a thief - they gave themselves an English name and wrote in perfect English.

They had an excuse for why their voice is (apparently) not working at the moment - hence writing. There was a giveaway though - British people don't use the phrase "Hope this finds you well" at the start of a conversation - but there was an Indian (I think??) guy that used to start all his YouTube broadcasts with that.....so I think it must be a common starter phrase in at least one other country. All my male friends/acquaintances currently are British - apart from one who is 50/50 German and English....

I do in every email to the people I support

She777 the reviews on their site or FB page are all fake. Just look at some of the names. 🤣🤣🤣

She777

I saw an advert on Instagram for bras for big busted women. They looked amazing and I decided I need 2 of them as quickly as possible. Filled the form out after reading the reviews and paid by debit card. Waited and waited, contacted and they even had the cheek to say there was a delay at the manufacturing hub. I waited another week and googled them again to find out it was a scam and they would flood FB and Insta with these ads but never fulfil orders.

These are the bras I mentioned earlier She777