Facebook Grew Marketplace to 1 Billion Users. Now Scammers Are Using It to Target People...

[Nevilledog]

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Craig Silverman
@CraigSilverman
NEW: FB Marketplace has 1 billion users and is one of the company’s most promising sources of $$. But growth comes at a cost: our investigation reveals how FB fails to protect buyers and sellers from scam listings, fake accounts & violent crime. Thread...

Facebook Grew Marketplace to 1 Billion Users. Now Scammers Are Using It to Target People Around the...
ProPublica identified thousands of Marketplace listings and profiles that broke the company’s rules, revealing how Facebook failed to safeguard users.
propublica.org
7:33 AM · Sep 22, 2021

https://www.propublica.org/article/facebook-grew-marketplace-to-1-billion-users-now-scammers-are-using-it-to-target-people-around-the-world


For years, Carman Alfonsi relied upon Facebook Marketplace to buy and sell used pool tables for his Michigan billiards business. He banked a steady stream of income from the wildly popular online bazaar.

But this July, Alfonsi’s Facebook account was hacked and used to post roughly 100 scam listings for cell phones and vehicles. The Marketplace posts directed buyers to contact an email address controlled by the scammers. When customers were left empty-handed, they sent enraged messages to Alfonsi by phone and Facebook Messenger.

Alfonsi repeatedly contacted Facebook to warn that his account had been hijacked by fraudsters. Instead of fixing the problem, the social media giant banned him from using Marketplace, at one point removing his profile from its platform.

Now Alfonsi carries a gun in his own home. He’s concerned that an angry Marketplace customer might show up at his front door.

*snip*

[hlthe2b]

1. Every damned day I am grateful I never registered.

At least one scourge I've managed to avoid.

[empedocles]

2. zuck is so awful

[John1956PA]

3. A long read, but worth doing so. Thanks for posting! n/t