Barnstable Police Warn Residents Of Facebook Market Scams

BARNSTABLE, MA — Barnstable police warned residents that they've seen an increased number of Facebook Marketplace scams.

Police said the most common scams are sellers demanding gift card payments for "too good to be true" deals on big ticket items like cars. The scammer then gets the numbers off the back of the gift cards, and the buyer never gets the item purchased.

Police warned that if you're making a purchase online, it's always best to use a secured payment system such as PayPal that offers you protections as a buyer in case the seller doesn't deliver. Be wary of a seller requesting gift cards, money orders, wire transfers or even cash.