Online marketplace scam costs local victim $700

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is warning online sellers to make sure money is actually in their account before handing anything over.A local victim recently learned that lesson the hard way. On Sunday, Nov. 1, the victim listed a table for sale on Facebook Marketplace for $150. A suspect responded, claiming to be interested in buying it.The suspect told the victim they had a business Zelle account that couldn’t send less than $650.

The Details

The plan, as the suspect described it, was simple: The victim would receive $650 and send $500 back, keeping the remaining $150 as payment for the table.The victim sent $500 before confirming any money had actually arrived from the suspect. It never did.The scam didn’t stop there. The suspect then sent the victim a fake customer service link and convinced them to pay an additional $200 for a supposed account upgrade — which was also fraudulent. In total, the victim lost $700.JSO says scammers are becoming increasingly creative with their schemes. No legi