The most common Facebook scams
Each variant activates one or more documented psychological levers — spot them under each card.
Profile cloning
A scammer copies your photo and public information to create a fake account under your name, then friend-requests your own contacts to ask them for money while impersonating you.
The overpayment scam
A buyer intentionally sends more than the asking price, then asks you to refund the difference — the original payment is later reversed or fraudulent. Full step-by-step breakdown →
Bait and switch
An attractive low-priced listing generates interest, then turns out to be "unavailable" — the seller offers a substitute, often a counterfeit or an item never delivered.
The fake giveaway
A page impersonating a brand or celebrity announces a prize to claim by clicking a link or providing bank details.
How to spot a scam on Facebook
- A duplicate friend request from someone you're already friends with — a classic cloning tell.
- A seller who refuses to meet or pushes payment off Marketplace.
- A buyer who overpays, then asks for a refund of the difference.
- A price too low for a well-known brand-name product.
- A QR code or external payment link sent by a stranger.
- A giveaway asking for your bank details — no legitimate platform ever does that.
What to do if you're targeted
- Verify through another channel: call the person directly whose account looks cloned.
- Never pay outside Marketplace's built-in system for an online purchase.
- Favor in-person handoffs in a public place for local transactions.
- Report the profile, listing, or giveaway via the Facebook Help Center.
How Egidio protects you
Egidio detects scam signals across more than 183 apps with Premium — including Facebook — on top of calls, and warns you before you open the trap.
Where others rely on a list of already-reported profiles, Egidio detects the scam itself — even from a cloned account it has never seen before.
A Facebook scam almost never stays on Facebook — it moves to Messenger, a text, or a bank transfer. See why filtering a single app is never enough.
100% on your phone. Egidio analyzes notifications locally: it doesn't store your conversations and sends nothing to a server. No ads, no account.
Download Egidio Call blocking is free · messaging protection is PremiumFrequently asked questions
How do I spot a scam on Facebook?
Be wary of a friend request from someone you're already friends with, a Marketplace listing priced suspiciously low, a giveaway asking for bank details, and any deal that pushes you off-platform before payment.
What is Facebook profile cloning?
A scammer copies your photo and public information to create a fake account under your name, then contacts your real friends impersonating you.
How do I avoid a Facebook Marketplace scam?
Favor built-in payments and in-person handoffs in a public place. Be wary of overpayment-then-refund requests and external payment links.
How do I recover a hacked or cloned Facebook account?
Use the official form in the Facebook Help Center, never a link received by message even if it looks like Facebook support.
Does Egidio read my Facebook messages?
No. Egidio analyzes notifications on your phone to detect scam signals. It doesn't store your conversations and sends nothing to a server. Learn more →
Is Egidio free?
Call blocking is free, forever. Messaging protection and Family mode are included in the Premium version. Full price breakdown →
A successful scam costs an average of $19,300. Egidio Family protects 4 people for $59.99/year. Full breakdown →