You’ve realized something went wrong on Facebook Marketplace. Maybe the seller disappeared after you paid, the item never arrived or a buyer’s payment turned out to be fake or been victim to Facebook marketplace shipping scam . Whatever happened, knowing how to report a scammer on Facebook Marketplace quickly is one of the most important thing you can do right now.
This guide explains exactly how to report a scam on Facebook Marketplace, who to contact, how to try recovering your money, and how to protect yourself from further damage.
How to Report a Scammer on Facebook Marketplace
If you’re trying to figure out how to report a scammer on Facebook Marketplace, starting directly on Facebook gives you the fastest way to flag the account and protect other users.
How to report a seller who scammed you:
- Go to the scammer’s Facebook profile
- Click the three dots (•••) in the top right corner of their profile
- Select “Find support or report”
- Choose “Scam or fraud” and follow the prompts
If you’re wondering how to report a scammer on Facebook Marketplace, make sure you also report the actual Marketplace listing and save screenshots of all messages, payment receipts, and tracking details before the scammer deletes anything.
How to report the Marketplace listing itself:
- Find the original listing (search your Marketplace activity if needed)
- Click the three dots on the listing
- Select “Report listing”
- Choose the reason that best matches the scam
This is another important step in how to report scam on Facebook Marketplace because it helps Facebook identify repeat scammers faster and may prevent other users from being targeted.
Important: Before reporting a Facebook Marketplace scam, take screenshots of the listing, profile, payment receipts, tracking details, and all Messenger conversations. Scammers often delete accounts quickly after being reported.
How to report the conversation:
- Open the Messenger conversation with the scammer
- Click their name at the top to open their profile
- Scroll down and tap “Report”
- Select “Scam or fraud”
Do all three if you can — report the profile, the listing, and the conversation separately. Each report adds to Facebook’s fraud detection and increases the chance of the account being removed quickly.
What to expect after reporting:
Understanding how to report a scammer on Facebook Marketplace is important, but many victims are surprised to learn that reporting alone usually won’t recover lost money. Facebook will review your report but won’t always share the outcome with you directly. Don’t expect an instant response or a guaranteed refund. Facebook’s ability to recover money is limited, especially if payment happened outside their platform. Reporting is about protection, not recovery. Recovery happens through the next steps.
Contact Your Bank or Payment Provider Immediately
If any money changed hands, your bank or payment provider is your best chance of getting it back. The sooner you call, the better your options.
If you paid by bank transfer or direct deposit:
Call your bank’s fraud line immediately not the general customer service number, the fraud line specifically. Tell them you’ve been scammed and ask them to:
- Place a hold on the transaction if it hasn’t fully cleared
- Initiate a recall request to try to retrieve the funds
- Flag your account for monitoring in case further suspicious activity follows
In Australia the major banks all have dedicated fraud lines available 24 hours:
- Commonwealth Bank: 13 2221
- ANZ: 13 3426
- Westpac: 132 032
- NAB: 13 22 65
In the US contact your bank’s fraud department directly, the number is on the back of your card.
If you paid via PayPal:
Log into your PayPal account and open a dispute through the Resolution Centre within 180 days of the transaction. Select “I didn’t receive my item” or “Item not as described” depending on your situation. PayPal buyer protection covers eligible transactions — but only if payment was made as “Goods and Services” not “Friends and Family.” Friends and Family payments have no buyer protection at all, which is exactly why scammers always request that method.
If you paid via cash app, Venmo, or similar:
These platforms offer very limited fraud protection for peer to peer payments. Contact their support immediately and explain the situation — outcomes vary but early reporting gives you the best chance. Be honest that you realise recovery may be difficult and focus your energy on the bank and authority reporting steps below.
Report to the Relevant Authority
Reporting to your national consumer authority does two things: it creates an official record of the scam and it contributes to data that helps protect other people. It takes about ten minutes and costs nothing.
In Australia — report to Scamwatch:
Go to scamwatch.gov.au and submit a report. Scamwatch is run by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and tracks scam activity nationally. Your report directly informs public scam alerts and government responses to emerging fraud trends. If you lost more than $10,000 or your identity details were compromised, also consider reporting to the Australian Federal Police at afp.gov.au.
In the United States — report to the FTC:
Go to reportfraud.ftc.gov and submit a report. The Federal Trade Commission uses these reports to build cases against scammers and issue public warnings. You can also report to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov for online fraud — particularly useful if significant money was lost.
In the United Kingdom — report to Action Fraud:
Go to actionfraud.police.uk and file a report online or call 0300 123 2040. Action Fraud is the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.
Can you report a Facebook Marketplace scam to the police?
Yes and in some cases you should. If you lost a significant amount of money, your identity details were stolen, or you have clear evidence of who the scammer is, file a report with your local police. In Australia this means your state police- Victoria Police, NSW Police, Queensland Police and so on. A police report also creates a formal record that can support insurance claims or bank dispute processes.
Protect Yourself From Further Damage
Reporting is important but it’s only half of what needs to happen. Depending on what information you shared during the scam, your exposure may go beyond just the money lost.
If you shared your phone number:
Be alert for follow-up scam calls or texts. Scammers often sell contact lists to other fraudsters. If you start receiving unusual verification codes you didn’t request, contact your phone provider immediately — this can be an early sign of a SIM swap attempt where a scammer tries to take over your phone number.
If your Facebook account, email, or phone starts behaving strangely after the scam, read our guide on “Have I Been Hacked?” and how to check your accounts quickly.
If you shared your home address:
Be aware that your address may be used for mail redirection scams or identity verification attempts. Monitor any mail irregularities and consider alerting Australia Post or USPS if mail goes missing.
If you shared identity documents — licence, passport, Medicare card:
Marketplace scams sometimes lead to identity theft, especially if licence, passport, or Medicare details were shared during the transaction. This is the most serious scenario. Contact the relevant issuing authority immediately:
- In Australia: Services Australia for Medicare (servicesaustralia.gov.au), VicRoads or your state roads authority for your licence, the Australian Passport Office for passport concerns
- In the US: Contact the Social Security Administration if your SSN was involved, and report identity theft at identitytheft.gov
If you’re worried your personal details are being misused:
An identity monitoring service like Aura watches your personal information across databases and alerts you if your details appear somewhere they shouldn’t — including on dark web marketplaces where stolen information is bought and sold. It won’t undo what happened but it gives you early warning before a larger identity theft occurs.
What If Facebook Won’t Help?
Many users searching for how to report a scammer on Facebook Marketplace become frustrated when Facebook provides little direct support after the initial report. Many people find that knowing how to report a scam on Facebook Marketplace is only the beginning, actually getting resolution takes more than one report. This is a common and genuinely frustrating situation. Facebook’s ability to intervene in peer to peer transactions especially those that happened outside their platform is limited. Here is what to do if you feel like you’re hitting a wall:
Escalate through Facebook’s Help Centre:
Go to facebook.com/help and search for “compromised account” or “marketplace scam.” Facebook has a dedicated flow for fraud cases that sometimes reaches a different team than the standard report button.
Contact your state or national consumer protection agency:
In Australia this means Consumer Affairs Victoria, NSW Fair Trading, Queensland Office of Fair Trading, or the equivalent in your state. These agencies can’t force Facebook to act but they maintain records of platform complaints that contribute to regulatory pressure.
Consider a chargeback through your card provider:
If you paid by credit or debit card — even indirectly through a payment platform — contact your card provider about a chargeback. This is a formal dispute process that reverses the transaction at the card network level. It bypasses Facebook entirely and works independently of whether Facebook helps you or not.
Document everything:
Screenshot every message, the listing, the payment confirmation, and any contact details you have for the scammer. Even if you can’t recover your money immediately, having documentation protects you and supports every report and dispute you file.
How to Avoid Being Scammed on Facebook Marketplace Again
Getting scammed once is enough. Learning how to report a scammer on Facebook Marketplace is important, but preventing the scam in the first place is even better. These habits make it extremely unlikely it happens again.
Never pay before you inspect in person. As a buyer, your strongest protection is simple; you pay with one hand and take the item with the other. No upfront deposits, no holding fees, no partial payments to “secure” an item you haven’t seen. Any seller asking for money before you’ve inspected the item in person is asking you to take all the risk.
Keep all communication on Facebook Messenger. The moment a buyer or seller asks to move to WhatsApp, text, or email you lose Facebook’s fraud detection layer. There is no legitimate reason to move off platform before a deal is agreed.
Use Facebook’s built-in checkout for shipped items. If you’re buying something that needs to be shipped, use Facebook’s own payment system. It has buyer protection built in. Private PayPal transfers, bank deposits, and cash app payments outside Facebook have none.
Check the profile before you engage. A new account, no profile photo, no friends, or a name that doesn’t match the photo are all red flags worth taking seriously before you invest time in a transaction.
Trust your instincts. If something feels rushed, too good to be true, or slightly off — it probably is. There will always be another listing.
Reporting a Facebook Marketplace Scam in Australia
Australian buyers and sellers are heavily targeted by Facebook Marketplace scams, particularly shipping scams, fake payment confirmations, and deposit request scams. Australia’s high rate of Marketplace usage combined with a generally trusting culture around secondhand selling makes it an attractive target for overseas scammers operating at scale.
Scamwatch data consistently shows online marketplace scams as one of the highest-volume and highest-loss categories for Australian consumers. Reporting your experience at scamwatch.gov.au takes ten minutes and directly contributes to national scam tracking. The ACCC uses this data to issue public warnings, work with platforms like Facebook on fraud prevention, and inform government policy on consumer protection online.
If you’re an Australian who lost money to a Facebook Marketplace scam and your bank hasn’t been able to help, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) at afca.org.au is worth contacting. AFCA handles disputes between consumers and financial institutions and may be able to assist if your bank has not responded appropriately to your fraud claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to report a scammer on Facebook Marketplace?
Report directly on Facebook by going to the scammer’s profile, clicking the three dots, and selecting “Find support or report” then “Scam or fraud.” Also report the listing itself and the Messenger conversation separately. Then contact your bank immediately if money was involved, and file a report with Scamwatch in Australia or the FTC in the US. Reporting to Facebook alone is not enough — the bank and authority steps are where your best chance of recovery and protection lies.
Can I get my money back after being scammed on Facebook Marketplace?
It depends on how you paid. Bank transfers reported quickly — within 24 hours — have the best chance of recovery through a bank recall request. PayPal Goods and Services payments are covered by buyer protection and can be disputed through PayPal’s Resolution Centre. Credit card payments can be disputed through a chargeback with your card provider. Cash app, Venmo, and Friends and Family PayPal payments are the hardest to recover. Acting fast on every front gives you the best possible chance.
Can you report Facebook Marketplace scams to the police?
Yes. If you lost a significant amount of money or your personal identity details were compromised, file a report with your local police. In Australia this means your state police force. A police report creates an official record that supports bank disputes, insurance claims, and any further investigation. For online fraud in Australia you can also report to the Australian Federal Police at cybercrime.gov.au.
What happens after you report a scam on Facebook?
Facebook reviews reports but doesn’t always communicate the outcome to you directly. In most cases the scammer’s account will be removed if enough evidence is present. Facebook’s ability to recover money is very limited — especially for transactions that happened outside their platform. Treat the Facebook report as one step in a broader response rather than your primary route to resolution.
Can you report a Facebook Marketplace scam to the police in Australia?
Yes and it’s worth doing if the amount lost is significant or your identity was compromised. Contact your state police — Victoria Police, NSW Police, Queensland Police and so on — either in person at your local station or online through their reporting portals. You can also report online fraud to the Australian Federal Police through cybercrime.gov.au. Keep all documentation including screenshots of messages and the listing before you report.
How do I know if a Facebook Marketplace listing is a scam?
The most common red flags are: the price is significantly below market value, the seller asks you to pay a deposit before you’ve seen the item, they want to move communication off Facebook to WhatsApp or text, they can’t meet in person for no clear reason, or their profile is new and has no activity. The safest rule for in-person sales is simple inspect first, pay on pickup, never send money in advance.
Closing Paragraph
Getting scammed on Facebook Marketplace is stressful, but acting quickly gives you the best chance of limiting the damage. Report the scam to Facebook, contact your bank immediately, report it to the relevant authority, and secure any personal information you may have shared.
Document everything and don’t rely on Facebook alone for recovery. The faster you act, the better your chances of protecting your money and identity.
And if you continue using Marketplace, knowing how to report a scammer on Facebook Marketplace quickly can help limit the damage and protect other people from being targeted.
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