Truvee
GMarketplace

Checking who a Facebook Marketplace buyer or seller really is

Short answer

A Facebook Marketplace profile tells you which account you are messaging, not who controls it. For low-value items, meeting in public and using a safe payment method is usually enough. For higher-value items, or before giving out your address, ask the other party to complete a third-party identity check and compare the verified name with the name on the listing, title, or payment.

Patterns sellers report

  • A buyer offers to pay more than asking, then sends a fake payment confirmation.
  • A buyer asks for a code sent to your phone, which is often an account-takeover attempt.
  • A buyer insists on a courier or shipping for an item you listed as local pickup only.
  • A buyer sends an overpayment and asks you to refund the difference.

Patterns buyers report

  • A deposit is requested to hold an item that does not exist.
  • The seller's name does not match the name on the title or registration.
  • The price is far below market and the seller is suddenly away for work.
  • The seller will only meet at a location they choose, after dark.

When an identity check is worth it

For cars, motorcycles, boats, electronics over a few hundred dollars, or any sale involving your home address, a $6.99 Core check is proportionate. Send it before you agree a meeting. Never send or accept photos of IDs in Messenger; a third party should handle the ID so neither of you stores the other's document.

Compare the verified name with the listing and the paperwork. If the seller is selling for a relative, ask for written authority and verify the person who will sign.

What Marketplace's own tools cover

Platform ratings and badges reflect account history on that platform. They are useful context but are not identity verification of the person you will meet, and they can change hands with the account.

Limits to keep in mind

  • An identity check does not confirm ownership, item condition, or that payment will clear.
  • Truvee is independent and not affiliated with Facebook or Meta.
  • No step makes a private sale risk-free.