Scam targeting sellers on Facebook Marketplace in circulation in Montreal

CBC News

· Posted: Jul 16, 2025 2:27 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

Montreal sellers connected Facebook Marketplace accidental they're adjusting to a caller benignant of scam from deceptive buyers trying to prehend their slope relationship done fake e-transfers.

Violaine Pelletier-Madsen, who sells her idiosyncratic items connected the fashionable platform, says she astir fell unfortunate erstwhile she tried selling thing to an individual who wanted her to enactment the merchandise connected hold. He offered to wage a deposit.

"I didn't look online to spell spot their profile," she said. "So I conscionable took it for granted that this speech goes good and I accepted the Interact transfer."

She clicked what looked similar an e-transfer nexus but clicked retired erstwhile it wasn't directing her to her authoritative slope leafage oregon banking app.

It's a script cybersecurity adept Claudiu Popa says helium sees often.

The scam, besides known arsenic reverse fraud, involves the scammer sending a nexus disguised with official-looking branding and asking the seller to input their banking accusation to assertion the payment. Once the unfortunate does so, the scammer gets entree to their account and sends themselves an e-transfer. 

Popa says if the purchaser expresses a consciousness of urgency, it should instantly acceptable disconnected alarm bells.

"You tin enactment thing you privation successful that link. If you archer a idiosyncratic you're waiting for them, the vendor's going to click," helium said.

The Service de constabulary de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) says the scam seems to beryllium comparatively caller successful Montreal. 

In an email, the SPVM says 7 cases of reverse fraud were reported betwixt January and April 1, 2025, adding that no reports were recorded successful erstwhile years.

How to support yourself

In April, the RCMP warned residents successful Newfoundland and Labrador about the scam aft receiving reports from defrauded victims. It says 1 happening to look retired for are e-transfer emails from generic email providers similar GMail, which fiscal institutions don't use.

Popa says phishing scams successful wide person been live ever since e-commerce.

Sellers should beware of shortlinks or URL shorteners which tin beryllium utilized by the scammer to obscure agelong and evidently illegitimate websites, he says.

"If you spot a banking oregon fiscal link, you bash not click on those links. You spell to the website that you cognize and spot and you log yourself successful manually," said Popa.

Scammers also typically usage a precocious created Facebook illustration utilizing a communal section name, according to the RCMP.

It's wherefore thoroughly checking the buyer's societal media illustration has go portion of Amy Johnson's e-safety routine. She's besides a Facebook Marketplace seller and the proprietor of Piece to Grow Vintage successful Montreal.

"You tin spot if people, adjacent mode back, person a past of photos, oregon friends," said Johnson, adding that having a communal person is usually a bully sign. "Those are the kinds of things I'm looking for."

Pelletier-Madsen says seeing reviews connected a buyer's profile from different sellers besides puts her astatine ease. But, chiefly she trusts her gut.  

"When I'm not comfy with the transportation of wealth I'm similar 'I cognize however it goes normally' and when it's conscionable weird and not common, I commencement asking [myself] questions," she said.