The Ottawa Police Service said its fraud unit has seen an increase in the number of scams on Facebook Marketplace

It added that buyers on Facebook Marketplace have reported cases where they purchased counterfeit products or never received what they paid for.
The city police service also announced that the fraud unit typically receives about 30 to 35 fraud-related complaints daily, and on average, about seven or eight of those involve some kind of Marketplace scam or similar.

The police mentioned that selling Taylor Swift concert tickets on Facebook Marketplace is a good example when it comes to these types of scams, and if you lose money, the police want you to report the scam immediately online.

Ontario Provincial Police said in February that officers have responded to an increasing number of calls involving scams in Eastern Ontario, including emergencies, gift cards, counterfeit goods, online shopping and selling, cryptocurrency investments, romance scams, and scams involving mobile phone and internet service providers.

The police offered the following advice to protect yourself from scams and to know the market value of the product you are looking for: check customer reviews.

Use a payment method that offers fraud protection

Such as your credit card.

. Receive items and make payments in person whenever possible.

Review all email information to ensure it comes from a legitimate source.

Research and use reputable websites. Conduct an online search to see if anyone has already reported the buyer or seller as fraudulent.