No, this Shed is Not For Sale: Be Aware of Scammers on Facebook Classifieds Group

Being able to buy and sell online is awesome...until you get duped.

For the second time in a row this week, someone showed up at my door asking about a $900 shed they arranged to pick up. But here's the thing. We don't have a shed and I'm not even part of the private Facebook group: Glenrock Buy Sell Trade.

Fraudsters use the Internet classefieds to scam people into buying things and then listing a false address. In other cases, there have been reports across the country of buyers being robbed -- or worse -- when they arrive at an arranged spot to pick up their item.

Consumer Tips to Avoid Internet Classified Scams

1. Safety first. Buying things from strangers is risky. Always arrange to meet in a public place. Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return. Ask someone to go with you. Bring a charged cell phone. Follow your guy--if something feels off, get out of there as fast as possible.

2. Do not send money online until you get your item. But even then, never give someone your credit/debit card information. Consider other options like cash, Venmo, or Zelle.

5. Be wary of checks. Counterfeit checks will show up in your bank account but never clear and banks do not assume the losses in this scenario.

6. A deal that sounds too good to be true probably is. Think twice before buying something for an incredibly low price.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and local law enforcement officials, such as county attorneys and police departments, have authority and jurisdiction over online crime. If you would like to report an incident of an online crime, you may contact some of these agencies as follows:

Federal Bureau of Investigation
Minneapolis Office
1501 Freeway Boulevard
Brooklyn Center, MN 55430
(763) 569-8000
www.ic3.gov (Internet Crime Complaint Center)

United States Secret Service
Minnesota Electronic Crimes Task Force
300 South Fourth Street, Suite 750
Minneapolis, MN 55415
(612) 348-1800
www.secretservice.gov external link icon

United States Postal Inspection Service
Criminal Investigations Service Center
1745 Stout Street, Suite 900
Denver, CO 80299-3034
(877) 876-2455
www.postalinspectors.uspis.govexternal link icon