Edmonton police warn of Facebook Marketplace frauds

Edmonton police are warning the public of frauds that are occurring online via Facebook Marketplace.

EPS says since May 2023, there have been over 40 reported frauds regarding the purchase of Apple and Samsung products.

It is believed the frauds involve the purchase of ‘new’ products like phones and watches. Police add in may instances, a receipt accompanies the fake item, which gives the buyer a false sense of security.

“Over the past three months, there has been an explosion in these frauds,” says Det. Chapman Lee of the EPS Southeast Investigative Response Team. “We urge anyone that is looking to make a purchase of a personal electronic device over Facebook Marketplace to be extra diligent to ensure that the item is legitimate.”

EPS are urging people to take certain cautions while using things like marketplace, by looking at the profile of the person selling the item. Saying in most instances, the seller’s profile is fairly new and has little to no activity.

“In addition, please use a safe-trading site to conduct any sort of in-person transaction,” says Det. Lee. “A well-lit public location where there are surveillance cameras is recommended. In some of the instances, transactions occurred in secluded areas where the sellers became violent and assaulted the buyers.”

EPS note four of their branches have designated buy-and-sell exchange zones in their parking lots.