Police officials are warning Americans about purchasing goods on Facebook Marketplace following a string of robberies across the country. Criminals are creating fake profiles on the social media platform, with many claiming to have cars for sale to lure unsuspecting victims into meeting in person. This year 90 Facebook Marketplace robberies have been reported, up from 58 last year. Robbers have stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars and personal items, including victims’ phones and cars, with at least one encounter resulting in a homicide. More than one billion people buy products on Facebook Marketplace worldwide every month, making up about 40% of the platform’s 3 billion active users. Officials say the safest way to conduct business is to request that the transaction take place at a police department. “If you are doing a transaction with a person and they don’t want to go to a precinct, maybe you shouldn't do that transaction,” said NYPD Community Affairs Commissioner Mark Stewart.
