The Better Business Bureau is alerting Nebraskans of a new scam that is targeting sellers on Facebook Marketplace.
The BBB’s Scam Tracker reports this is a new trick and sellers need to be wary if they are requred to upgrade their Zelle, CashApp, or Venmo accounts.
This is impacting those wanting to sell items worth several hundred dollars. A “buyer” says they paid for the item on a business account and the seller must now upgrade their account to a business status to accept the transfer. The “buyer” will then need to send another $300 but need to refund them the first $300 dollars sent.
One scam victim reported, “I received an email from from zelle@bankconfirmedpayment.com
explaining that the funds were waiting, but the buyer had to send an additional $300 in order to upgrade my account because the transaction was over $600, and I would need a business account.”
The scammer than stated the extra funds were sent. That person then started pressuring the victim to repay him.
Those refunding a scammer will soon realize they never sent any money in the first place and the seller will be out several hundred dollars.
The BBB has tips on how to avoid scams when selling online.
Don’t trust anyone willing to overpay you. Unless your item is rare and you receive multiple offers, be wary of buyers offering you more than your asking price. Consider it a red flag if someone is quick to send you more money than you are asking.
Check email addresses carefully. If you seem to have received an email from Zelle or another payment app, double-check the email address. Scammers use fake email addresses that resemble official ones.
Get to know payment app policies before you use them. If someone claims you need a business account to accept payments, check the apps official website or contact customer service to find out if the claim is true. Scammers often make up fake policies to trick their victims.
Make sure to report scams to Facebook Marketplace. If you spot a seller trying to pull off a scam, report them. Your report can help protect other unsuspecting sellers.