After a North Carolina woman was scammed on Facebook Marketplace, she decided to take matters into her own hands. Here’s how she recovered her money.
TikTok user Madeline (@madelinedoingthings) posted a series of videos about the incident last week. “I’m surprised it took me so long to get burned,” Madeleine said at the start of the video.
According to Madeline, she advertised a bag of clothes on Facebook Marketplace for $100. The deal was that the person buying them would pick up the bag from the front porch and put the money under the mat. However, instead of leaving the money under the mat, they blocked Madeleine.
“I don’t really care about money,” Madeleine said, “that’s the principle of the thing. I’m pretty sure I found this woman’s address. I’d love to show up at her house and say, ‘What is this?’ [expletive]? “
Audience reaction to Facebook Marketplace scam story
In the comments on the original video, viewers debated whether Madeleine’s confrontational impulse was a good idea.
“One hundred dollars??? Oh yeah, come on,” one person said.
Another wrote: “Is it a bad idea to go? Of course. Would I go? Of course.”
Madeline’s video received over 16,000 likes and 329,900 views.
How a North Carolina woman foiled a Facebook marketplace scam
In a follow-up video, Madeleine told viewers that she found the con man’s husband at work and called him. Madeleine explained the situation, and the husband, after an initial coldness, apologized for his wife’s behavior.
At the end of the conversation, the husband promised that he would talk to his wife and send money to Madeline via Zelle or Venmo if needed.
In the final update video, Madeleine wraps up the story.
“I did get a $100 Venmo from my husband who called me,” Madeline said. The husband even texted Madeleine to make sure she received the money.
Another viewer explained that Madeleine wasn’t the only one involved in the scam. “This happened to me while I was selling a chainsaw. By pure chance, a few years later, I learned we had mutual friends. I told my friends what he had done and one day he actually showed up with the money! It took three years, but that’s the power of influence,” said another comment.
How to avoid Facebook marketplace scams
Facebook Marketplace is one of the most used online marketplaces in the world, with approximately 1.2 billion buyers each month. Therefore, scams in the market are more common than you think. Unfortunately, about one in eight market shoppers report being scammed.
According to Security Keeper, some ways to avoid scams is to check seller and buyer reviews. This is also a reminder to leave a review after buying or selling an item on the market.
The article also recommends being wary of the following types of scams:
People asking for advance payment to purchase items People asking for gift cards to pay for overpriced scams fake or stolen items
Madeleine was lucky to come across this scam, but it’s important to be wary when buying or selling items from strangers online.
All Hip Hop reached out to Madeline for comment via TikTok messages and comments.
@madelinedoingthings Facebook Marketplace, the best and worst things that have ever happened to me 😂 #scammed #facebookmarketplace #whatdoido ♬ Original Sound – madelinedoingthings
