Police urge caution when trading goods online

Police are continuing to urge caution when trading goods online after recent reports of theft involving deals initiated on social media platforms.

Aucklander Will Cheng listed a laptop computer on Facebook Marketplace for $250 last month.

A person contacted Cheng and asked him to deliver the laptop to an address in the East Auckland suburb of Flat Bush, offering to pay him an extra $30 for the trouble.

Cheng received a couple of screenshots showing the money had been transferred to his account a short time before he arrived at the designated address.

After meeting the prospective buyer, Cheng asked to check the transfer records on their phone but was told they couldn't connect to the cellular network and showed him the screenshots again.

Cheng handed the buyer his laptop.

He later discovered that no money had been transferred into his account and was unable to contact the buyer.

He reported the incident to police.

Counties Manukau investigation support unit senior sergeant Steve Meade said police received a report of theft relating to Cheng's case after a meeting had been arranged to exchange goods sold on Facebook Marketplace.

"At this stage there have been no arrests, however enquiries remain ongoing," he said.

Meade said police continued to caution individuals buying and selling goods online, advising people to check police guidelines.

Aucklander Fiona He advertised a lawn mower for sale on Facebook Marketplace earlier this year.

She wanted to sell it for $100, but an individual turned up and showed her a screenshot of a $200 transfer to her account when collecting the mower.

She insisted on transferring the extra $100 back to the buyer.

She later discovered that no money had been transferred into her account and was unable to contact the buyer.

She had lost her lawn mower as well as $100.

Similar reports of such thefts have emerged on social media in Australia and the United States.

Sean Lyons, chief online safety officer at NetSafe, said scams targeting people buying and selling goods online could take several forms.

One tactic was for a scammer to send a fake bank transfer confirmation or screenshot to make it appear they had paid for an item, then collect the goods before the seller realised that no money had arrived, he said.

"A screenshot or payment confirmation is not proof that a payment has been received," Lyons said.

"Sellers should always check their own bank account and confirm the funds have arrived before handing over goods, regardless of how convincing the confirmation looks or how much pressure they are under to complete the transaction."

He said scammers might also try to move conversations away from the original online platform or use fake payment notifications and links to make a transaction appear legitimate.

"Taking a moment to verify what is happening, keeping communication within trusted channels where possible and stopping if something feels wrong can help reduce the risk of being caught out," he said.

Lyons advised people to contact their bank immediately if they believed they had been scammed.

A Meta spokesperson said the company took a risk-based approach that challenged scammers at each stage.

"In New Zealand, sellers flagged as risky by signals such as user reports and listing behaviour must submit government ID, and those who can't pass verification are unable to sell."

Meta also encouraged users to report suspected scam listings or profiles to them so they could investigate and take appropriate action.