Published November 2026.
Facebook Marketplace is one of the easiest places to find a cheap car, and one of the easiest places for criminals to sell one that isn’t theirs. Purchase scams hit a record £118 million in losses in 2025, and Lloyds Bank says vehicles were the most reported purchase scam that year, with more than 70% starting on Meta’s platforms. Here’s how the scams work and how to buy safely.
The most common Facebook Marketplace car scams
- The deposit scam: the seller asks for a deposit to “hold” the car before you see it, then disappears. UK Finance says advance-fee scams hit a record in 2025, driven by criminals targeting deposits for vehicles.
- The car that doesn’t exist: photos copied from a genuine advert, a price that’s too good, and a seller who’s abroad or working away and offers delivery after you pay.
- Fake delivery or escrow services: a convincing website that “holds” your money until the car arrives. It’s run by the scammer.
- Cloned and stolen cars: a real car with a stolen identity. The police will seize it from you.
- Hidden write-offs and finance: a car sold without mentioning that it was written off, or that a lender still owns it.
- Traders posing as private sellers: often several cars for sale from one profile. They’re avoiding the extra legal protection you’d get from a dealer.
Warning signs
- A price well below similar cars.
- A new or empty Facebook profile, or a name that doesn’t match the V5C.
- Pressure to decide fast, or to pay before seeing the car.
- A seller who can’t meet at their home address, or who has only one key.
- No V5C logbook, or a story about why it’s missing.
- A request for a bank transfer, cash or gift cards only.
How to buy a car on Marketplace safely
- Run a check on the registration before you travel. Our free car check confirms the make, model and colour match the advert, and a full car history check shows whether it’s stolen, written off or has finance owing.
- See the car at the seller’s home, in daylight, and check their ID matches the name and address on the V5C.
- Check the VIN on the car matches the V5C, and check the V5C itself is genuine.
- Never pay a deposit for a car you haven’t seen, and never use a delivery or escrow service the seller suggests.
- Pay safely: a bank transfer once you’ve seen the car and the paperwork, with the seller’s name matching the account, or a credit card where possible. Avoid large amounts of cash.
Your rights when buying privately
A private sale gives you fewer rights than buying from a dealer: the car must match its description, but it doesn’t have to be of satisfactory quality. A trader posing as a private seller is still a trader, and the Consumer Rights Act applies to them.
If you’re tricked into paying by bank transfer, report it to your bank straight away. Since October 2024 banks must reimburse most victims of authorised push payment scams, including purchase scams, up to £85,000, and you have 13 months to claim. Card, cash and civil disputes aren’t covered. Report the scam to the police through Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud, and report the advert to Facebook.
Our common car scams guide covers other tricks to watch for.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to buy a car on Facebook Marketplace?
It can be, if you check the car’s history, see it at the seller’s home, check the V5C and VIN, and never pay before you’ve seen the car.
Should I pay a deposit on Facebook Marketplace?
Not for a car you haven’t seen. Deposit scams are one of the most common Marketplace frauds.
What should I do if I’ve been scammed?
Contact your bank immediately, then report it to Report Fraud and to Facebook. Banks must reimburse most bank transfer scams up to £85,000.
How do I check a car before buying it on Facebook?
Enter the registration in a free car check to confirm the details, then run a full history check for stolen, write-off and finance records.
Sources
- UK Finance: Annual Fraud Report 2026 (June 2026)
- Lloyds Bank: top five purchase scams of 2025 (22 December 2025)
- Payment Systems Regulator: APP fraud reimbursement protections
- Devon and Somerset Trading Standards: buying a second-hand vehicle
- Avon and Somerset Police: cloned vehicles warning (September 2026)
Before you pay for a car you found online, run a full car history check on its registration.
