The Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office is warning county residents to be wary of a Facebook Marketplace scam currently sweeping the county.
“Over the last 10 days, the Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office has taken four separate complaints relating to a scam on Facebook Marketplace,” the department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday morning. Specifically, a resident of Bingham Township “has had several different people show up at their residence attempting to either look at or pick up items that are for sale on Facebook Marketplace,” ranging from newborn puppies to four-wheelers. The twist is that the Bingham Township resident in question doesn’t actually have any of these items and never listed them for sale on Facebook Marketplace in the first place.
According to the sheriff’s department, some (but not all) of the would-be buyers have lost money “as a result of the fraudulent ads.” The scam has also “caused much undue stress” for the homeowner who has “had the misfortune of having their address associated with the scam.” A sheriff’s office investigation into the crimes is ongoing, but the Facebook post notes that “it appears as if the perpetrators all reside out of the area and have randomly used the local address as a way to entice local interest.”
“Please remember that not all solicitations for sales online are legitimate and that anybody can become a victim of fraudulent activity,” the Facebook post concludes. “Protect yourself and your identity if you are participating in transactions that are from private sellers and not bona fide businesses. Any request for advance payment is usually a red flag. Before sending any money through digital applications or other means please ensure that the goods and services are real and legitimate.”
County residents who suspect they have been victims of this scam or other examples of fraud should report those incidents to the Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office.
