Facebook not removing an obviously fraudulent ad despite several reports - how to get it removed??

[Deleted User]

Hi all,

I've been bothered by an ad on facebook marketplace, for a person selling a super expensive bicycle for £120 but he will only sell it "if you send him half in advance" (in other words, it's a scam where he wants to steal £60...). It has been up for several weeks. I messaged the dude asking him whether anyone had fallen for the trick. and he replied with what appeared to be threats of violence. I thought that Facebook would take the ad down, but I have reported it (and the seller) several times, and it's STILL UP three weeks later.

This is a lesson to be VERY careful on Facebook marketplace (if you didn't already know) and more importantly, Facebook doesn't care about obvious scams, even when they are reported. Does anyone have ideas on how to get Facebook to stop ignoring me? I doubt the police will do anything. Here's a link (if it works): https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2048596881945579

isplumm

To be honest if someone falls for that scam - send the money beforehand - well they deserve to be conned!

cx6

Yes Facebook can be the wild west - be careful on there.

Aylesbury_Duck

What's that old saying?  If you're not paying for the product, you are the product.

Don't worry about facebook ignoring you, just ignore facebook.  

soolin

I have a warning from Facebook for over reporting scams , even blatant ones apparently don’t require removing and I’ve now stopped reporting them. 

Manxman_in_exile

What is Facebook?

Aylesbury_Duck

Manxman_in_exile said:

What is Facebook?

Where to start...?

Something that didn't exist 20 years ago but is now deemed essential by a good chunk of the population.  It's the only medium through which you may keep in touch with friends and family, and is a place where people enthusiastically share all sorts of personal information with total strangers, and then complain when they're scammed, burgled, hacked, etc.

You're missing out.  I think.

bris

You have no proof it's a scam so you can't say that for sure.

When someone falls for it then they can have it pulled because they are the victim and they can prove it's a scam.

There are reasons for wanting money up front so that alone doesn't make it a scam. I have waited patiently for people to turn up (I only use Gumtree now) and buy something only for them to not bother without the decency to give me a quick call of message to say they changed their minds.

I still don't ask for money upfront but thats a choice and can see why people do.

[Deleted User]

@Bris: Well, I have no proof it's a scam, that's true, except (i) the guy is selling two bikes, each at 10% of their true value, and (ii) in both cases he is asking for a bank transfer of 50% up front, and (iii) if you ask him whether it's a scam, he sends threats of violence.

I mean it could be a non-scam in theory, but pigs might also fly.

Manxman_in_exile

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Manxman_in_exile said:

What is Facebook?

You're missing out.  I think.

I don't think so...    

[Deleted User]

soolin said:

I have a warning from Facebook for over reporting scams , even blatant ones apparently don’t require removing and I’ve now stopped reporting them. 

That's so sad. I know that the BBC etc. have reported on this kind of thing in the past but your story (and Facebook's own refusal to remove what is patently, obviously, a scam) but I wonder if they might be interested in this?

I'm not sure why this has annoyed me so much, because there are plenty of scams around, but this one is just so annoying and it keeps coming up on facebook whenever I search for bikes in London, and I just imagine some poor dude or lass sending the money and then getting bilked.