Category: Big Tech

FB Marketplace used to be legit. Actually, the listings are pretty straightforward but now I see shysters able to leverage FB posing as a sponsored ad. Again, Facebook does nothing after reporting them multiple times.

And now, with AI running the show, the fraud is completely automated. Much like my week long dialog with the Nigerian scammer years ago, this exchange below was initiated by opening a FB “sponsored” ad, which opened a Messenger window instead of showing the advertised item as expected. Unlike the scammer of years ago, AI gets right to the point so it’s impossible to drag it out. I knew going in that they were frauds because their related website was just registered, the address listed was a shopping mall with no signs of the locations shown on that site and their prices were about 1/3 of what they should be so my game was to physically see the item they advertised.

Here’s that Messenger dialog:

Goodway Equipment Center LLC
Typically replies within a few hours
Automotive Dealership

Hi Bill! Thank you for being interested in buying 2008 Caterpillar 416E. How we can assist you today ?

You sent

Can I see this cat? I need to see if it is right for my needs.

Goodway Equipment Center LLC

Hi Bill , Thank you for being interested in our 2008 Caterpillar 416E. The item is in perfect shape, no damages, or mechanical issues. It has only 4,193 hours, no accidents, 1 previous owner, the price $9,800. If you are interested in buying it, please let us know.

You sent

Not until I see it. Should only take 15 minutes. Is it available?

Goodway Equipment Center LLC

Hi Bill , We are located in Omaha,NE, but we can ship any of our items nationwide with only 80 cents/mile. You will have a 10-day period to inspect and test drive it, during this time, you can decide if you want to keep it. If you choose to proceed, signing the paperwork is all it takes. If, for any reason, you decide against keeping it, we’ll cover the return shipping cost, and you’ll receive a full refund. If you decide to move forward and wish to receive the purchase agreement from our Billing Department, please reply with your full name, address,email address and phone number. We will promptly send all the necessary information via email. Alternatively, you can fill out the form on the ‘How to Buy’ page on our website. https://goodwayequipmentcenter.com/how-to-buy/

You sent

I am on Cornhusker Rd. Where are you in relation to the Wine and Spirits at 140th?

<— At this point, they cut me off as the Messenger “Couldn’t send” notes

You sent

Hello?
Couldn’t send

You sent

Hello?
Couldn’t send

You sent

Are you there?
Couldn’t send

BEWARE!!!!

I see the guardians of misinformation at Facebook are hard at it today. I’m seeing these about every other post now. Some are 5 in a row, interspersed with the usual stream of fraudulent ads. My FB feed should be close to empty with so many friends dying tragically.

I should get back into the PC repair/restore business but I think I’d rather continue scraping chicken poop off my boots on a daily basis.

So remember, if you fall victim to this by clicking on it:

You’ll get a bogus pop up that your PC has been infected and the only way to clear it is to pay them to fix it. Do NOT call the number as they will only extort money from you to download and execute a file to “fix” your PC but will render it useless.

Instead, simply Ctrl+Alt+Delete, to bring up the Task Manager, find your browser (Chrome, Brave, Bing etc.) process and kill it (force it closed). Then reboot. It wouldn’t hurt to run a virus scan.

I hope everyone remembers this the next time they slap a label on your post reporting the actual truth. We’ve seen plenty already.