Whakatāne Police are advising people buying or selling items on Facebook to be wary of scams and fake profiles. 

Eastern Bay of Plenty Prevention Manager Senior Sergeant Tristan Murray says scams are taking place on Facebook Marketplace in Whakatāne.

Whakatāne Police are noticing an increasing amount of fraudulent activity with victims buying items on Facebook, depositing money into a stranger’s account and then all communication between the buyer and the seller ceases and the item bought is never received. 

Items being offered range from clothing, to cell phones, thermal imaging gear, firewood and vehicle mags. 

"We’ve even had a complaint where two persons known to each other have unwittingly both been defrauded trying to buy the same item on Facebook Marketplace," says Senior Sergeant Tristan Murray

"Facebook Marketplace has less in-built security systems to mitigate fraudulent activity. 

"If you decide to purchase off social media, we encourage you to take basic precautions to protect yourself."

This includes: 

• Insist on meeting to conduct transactions and examine the item before completing the transaction. Meet in a public place, and take a friend. DO NOT go into someone’s house or allow them into yours, DO NOT deposit money into another person’s account before you have received the item. 

• Learning more about the person you are buying from or selling to. Note: You can tap on a person's profile on the product listing page to see if you have any friends in common, their marketplace activity, and any ratings they may have received. 

• Ensure friends and family, especially anyone vulnerable, understand what to do to protect themselves. Be the person to provide that ongoing support and advice. 

• Trust your instincts – if it’s too good to be true or sounds like a scam, it probably is.