PEARL RIVER COUNTY – The Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department is warning residents about a Facebook Marketplace scam involving fraudulent payments for vehicles and other high-value items.
According to the sheriff’s department, Facebook Marketplace can be used by scammers for crimes ranging from counterfeit sales to robbery, and consumers are urged to use caution.
Deputies said one scam reported to law enforcement involves the fraudulent purchase of a motor vehicle, side-by-side or piece of heavy equipment.
In the scam, a person posing as a buyer agrees to purchase the item and pays with a counterfeit cashier’s check or fraudulent ACH wire transfer.
Authorities said that by the time the victim realizes the payment was fraudulent, the property is often gone. In some cases, victims may still owe money on a vehicle they no longer have.
The sheriff’s department said the scam can involve multiple people working together and may involve more than one victim.
One version of the scam involves a seller who still owes money to a bank or lender. The buyer agrees to pay off that amount through an ACH transfer, then pays the remaining balance with a cashier’s check.
Deputies said the buyer may use compromised or stolen bank information to complete the ACH transfer. The transfer may initially appear successful, but the funds can later be recalled once the fraudulent transaction is discovered.
The sheriff’s department said recalls can happen within a day or take several weeks.
Anyone who believes they have been a victim of this type of scam in Pearl River County is asked to contact Central Dispatch at 601-749-5482 to file a report.
