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Buying on Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is convenient for local pickups, but it has no built-in buyer protection — the burden of verification is entirely on you.

Upload a screenshot of the Facebook Marketplace listing

We attach it to your report so you have a record of what was advertised next to the bank-account check.

Drop, paste, or click to upload

PNG, JPG, or WebP

Next: pick the level of check, then we'll collect the bank details from the seller.

In 2025, over £1.2 billion was stolen by fraudsters in the UK. Verify before you pay.

What we check

5 checks across the UK's most-trusted data sources, run in under 30 seconds.

Confirmation of Payee

Bank account matches the payee name

Companies House

Company registered & active

VAT verification

VAT number valid

DVLA Vehicle Check

Make, year, tax & MOT status

Seller Reviews

Reputation on Google, Trustpilot & more

Sellers on Marketplace aren't vetted by Facebook, and most listings happen between strangers paying by bank transfer. If something goes wrong after you've sent money, neither Facebook nor your bank will usually cover you.

How to stay safe

Tips before you transfer

Verify the bank account before you transfer

Run a Confirmation of Payee check on the account name the seller gives you. A mismatch is the single strongest fraud signal we see.

Look at the seller's profile age

Brand-new accounts with no friends and no posting history are a red flag — established scammers create fresh profiles to dodge bans.

Insist on viewing the item in person

For anything over £100, refuse to pay before seeing it. A seller who won't meet should be assumed to be a scammer until proven otherwise.

Don't pay via 'gift' on PayPal or bank transfer for goods

Both bypass dispute mechanisms. If a seller insists on these methods for a non-trivial purchase, walk away.

Red flags

Common scam patterns

  • Listing photos stolen from a legitimate Gumtree or AutoTrader advert
  • Seller pretends to be 'overseas' and asks for delivery payment up front
  • Account name on the bank transfer doesn't match the seller's profile name
  • Listed price is suspiciously below the market rate for the item

Verify before you transfer

Enter the bank details from the invoice and we'll show you what we can verify in seconds. No account needed to pay.

Start a check

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