Woman scammed 3k on Facebook Marketplace

DESPITE repeated warnings from law enforcement, another person has fallen victim to a scam on Facebook Marketplace.

In the latest incident, a 30-year-old woman from Pinto Road, Arima, reported to police she was defrauded of $3,000 after making an online payment for a vehicle she believed she was purchasing.

Reports say the woman went to the Arima Police Station on June 2 and told officers she responded to an ad for a "work-to-own" vehicle on Facebook.

She contacted the seller and, after several exchanges, made a direct deposit to a Republic Bank checking account at the Arima branch on Broadway Street at approximately 10.15 am.

The woman said she was in "constant communication" with the seller up until 5.57 pm. However, after sending a photo of the deposit slip as proof of payment, she noticed the seller began deleting messages of their prior conversations.

Attempts to call the seller went unanswered, and subsequent messages were ignored.

This case is part of a growing trend. On January 20, three men from Santa Flora lost nearly $50,000 after responding to a similar ad in Morvant.

In December, several scams were reported, including a $5,000 rent-to-own fraud in Barataria, a $5,400 armed robbery in Guaico, Sangre Grande, and a $40,000 boat engine sale using a fraudulent cheque in Cedros.

Police are urging the public to be cautious when buying or selling items online. They recommend meeting at secure locations, such as police stations, and never transferring money before verifying the transaction.