Is it just me or is anyone else seeing rampant amount of scams for karting gear on FB? It’s gotten to the point that I’m leaving groups because it’s become filled wth $300 Mychron 5’s
I mean… FB?
James, why?
Anecdotally I haven’t seen it but I have seen plenty of insta bullshit.
Yep, tons of it on kart sales groups. We get a lot in the various ontario karting classifieds groups that will post a mychron and their profile says they are in Arizona or something. Or you ask where they are located and get “PM me”.
Ha ha! I tagged you on one of them today!
Seems like a rampant uptick in postings very recently. When you click on the posters profile, they haven’t sold other things before, they have only a couple of pictures, or it’s clearly a hacked account that doesn’t remotely match the old photos.
I only purchase Facebook marketplace if I know the person in real life, if I can arrange an in person meet, or I know them from another source such as here.
That’s right!
As soon as someone say “PM me” that’s another red flag.
It’s a massive problem in all the car groups I’m in. Dozens of scam listings per day.
The past several years have seen a massive uptick in fraud for us in banking. So much more than pre-pandemic. All sorts of basic stuff like checks being stolen from mailboxes and names being whited out and replaced. Simple stuff but way more of it.
Made the mistake of signing in last night. I’d say 90% of the feed was “influencers” promoting stuff. Lots of amazon prime day “oh I bought this thing and it’s amazing”
No Facebook and only on Instagram to post cool photos and see what other racers are up to.
I try to never go into that feed section of Instagram. It’s just cringy instagram/tik tok crap.
I basically post my artsy pics and kart stuff there. What’s interesting is getting other “artists” contacting you and then, in roundabout ways, trying to get you to buy their services. It’s kind of annoying.
If you want to sell me a service offer it directly so I can not waste your and my time.
I now ignore everything.
Yes. Then you look at their profile and it’s got 3 random pictures and no activity. The fact that groups are not moderated helps them publish the same scam over and over again. At least you can ID them easily and simply ignore and move on, it’s even more painful when you try to sell something and you have to sift through bots, scammers, tire kickers etc…
The AI tools FB is developing are getting better though, it’s just a matter of time until it will become very expensive for them to try to elude them
Scam starter kit:
Scales
Hans
Disc clutch
Mychron
I think it’s just a major Facebook problem, most groups aren’t regulated so anybody can enter. Small engine, lawnmower, airplane, car groups there are bots everywhere
Some groups have 50,000 members some of those sit vacant then start posting the scams. If people would stop paying with cash app and Paypal friends, it would virtually eliminate these people of scamming, but as long as there is .0001% that take the bait they will always be around. The group I moderate only has a few thousand, but if I see a scam on one group, I just put them on the blocked list. These bots/Spammers/ can agree to rules and submit answers to questions.
One thing that’s handy as an admin is that you see if someone has been blocked from another group you admin. Deny them on the spot.
I do wonder who’s falling for these. It must be happening because otherwise there’s really no incentive to keep posting the scams.
I don’t think you should even be on Fb marketplace in the first place
It’s where the deals are!
Marketplace is a pretty hit or miss venture. It’s either great deals and easy meet ups, or just the worst scammers and low-ballers in the world. I really try to sus out anyone I’m dealing with before actually getting too serious about buying or selling something there.
I didn’t know they could submit responses. In the groups that have had the questions I’ve seen way less scammers though.
i am rejecting requests for joining my properkarting group daily with thee kind of accounts.
TBH a TON of groups are no basically ‘for sale’ groups anyway so these Mychron selling accounts kinda hide in plain sight now anyway.