Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Group Scams in Ghana: Fake Rentals, Cars, Phones and "Pay Delivery First"

Short answer: on Facebook Marketplace and in Ghanaian buy-and-sell groups, the safest rule is the one the Cyber Security Authority gives: pay only after you have inspected and received the item. Most scams need you to pay first, a "deposit", "delivery fee", "clearing fee" or "agent fee". Before paying anyone, open their seller profile, check when they joined Facebook and what they have posted, and never accept a payment screenshot as proof.

The most common Facebook scams in Ghana

Fake rentals

A post in an Accra or Kumasi housing group shows a clean chamber and hall self-contain in East Legon for GH¢1,500 a month, far below what similar places cost. The "agent" says many people are interested, so you should pay a viewing fee or the agent's commission now to hold it. Some go further and show you round a property that is not theirs, collect a year's rent and hand you keys that do not work. Ghanaian police have arrested people posing as agents and landlords this way.

Rule: never pay anything for a rental you have not seen in person, and confirm the landlord owns it, for example by talking to neighbours or the caretaker.

Cars "at the port" or "from an auction"

A Toyota Corolla 2018 for GH¢45,000, "just arrived at Tema, the owner is travelling, pay the clearing fee and it is yours". There is a customs fee, then a "DVLA fee", then storage. There is no car. If you are buying a vehicle, see it, test it, and do the paperwork together at DVLA.

Cheap phones and electronics

"UK used iPhone 15 Pro Max, GH¢5,500, pay delivery and I'll send it with a rider." Or Samsung TVs "from a shop closing down". The photos are copied from other sellers. After you pay, you are blocked.

"Pay the delivery fee first"

Even if the item price is "pay on delivery", the seller asks for GH¢50 to GH¢150 upfront "for the rider". Then the rider calls: the package is held, pay another fee. This is a classic advance-payment scam. A genuine pay-on-delivery seller collects everything when you have the item in your hands.

Hacked accounts selling

A friend, a colleague or a known person in your group suddenly posts: "Relocating, selling my fridge, sofa and TV cheap, serious buyers only." Their account was taken over. The hacker uses their name and their friends' trust, and asks for MoMo to a number that is not theirs. Call the person on a normal phone line before you pay. If it is your account, use facebook.com/hacked and warn your friends from another account.

Fake payment proof (for sellers)

If you sell, the trick runs the other way. A "buyer" sends a screenshot of a bank transfer or a fake MoMo SMS and sends a rider to collect. Or they "overpay" and ask you to refund the difference. Meta's own help page says never to trust payment screenshots. Check your actual balance in your MoMo menu or bank app before releasing anything. Our guide on spotting a fake MoMo or bank alert shows what to look for.

Red flags Meta lists for Marketplace

Meta's Help Centre names these warning signs:

• Asking to move the chat to WhatsApp, text or email early on.
• Pressure to close the deal immediately.
• Prices far below the market value.
• Payment screenshots offered as proof.
• Overpayment followed by a refund request.
• Requests for gift cards or for verification codes, passwords or account details.
• Messages from someone who is not the account owner, such as a "relative" handling the sale.

Meta also says it does not offer refunds for person-to-person or off-site payments, so a MoMo transfer to a seller is not covered by Facebook in any way.

How to check a Facebook seller before you pay

1. Open their Marketplace profile. Tap the seller's name on the listing. The Marketplace profile shows the year they joined Facebook, ratings from other buyers and their other listings. A profile created this year, selling many unrelated expensive items, is a warning.
2. Look at their main profile. Real people have years of ordinary posts, tagged photos, friends who comment. Scam profiles often have a few recent photos, a locked profile and no history.
3. Read the ratings carefully. Facebook says it does not verify that every reviewer actually bought from the seller, so treat ratings as one clue, not proof.
4. For a business Page, check Page transparency. On the Page, open the About section and look for Page transparency. It shows when the Page was created and its past name changes. A "Kumasi Phones Hub" Page created three weeks ago, or one that used to be called something completely different, should worry you.
5. Reverse-search the photos. Use Google Lens on the item photos. If the same pictures appear in a Jumia listing, a foreign website or another seller's post, the seller does not have the item.
6. Match the MoMo name. When you dial the transfer, the network shows the registered name. If "Kwame Electronics" gives you a wallet registered to a different person, stop. The CSA has warned about fake shops asking for payment to wallets with names unrelated to the shop or seller.
7. Ask for a video call or a visit. Ask them to show the item live with today's date written on paper beside it. Meta suggests verifying that high-value items exist and belong to the seller, ideally in person or by video, before sending any deposit.

How to buy safely on Facebook in Ghana

• Meet in a busy public place in daylight, such as a mall or near a police station, and take someone with you.
• Inspect the item fully. Switch the phone on, check the IMEI, test the TV.
• Pay only once the item is in your hands. For delivery, pay the rider when they arrive and you have checked the item.
• For rentals and cars, never pay before an in-person visit and proper paperwork.
• Keep all chats on Messenger rather than moving to WhatsApp, so there is a record Facebook can see if you report.

Many sellers in Ghana sell across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp at once. You can search a business by name on TrustCheck's business directory to see if other buyers have reviewed it.

How to report a Facebook scammer

• A listing: open it, tap the three dots or the report option, and choose the reason, such as scam.
• A seller: open their profile, tap the three dots and report them.
• A group post: report the post to Facebook and tell the group admins, who can remove the member.
• Stop replying once you have reported. Scammers often try a second trick, such as a fake "refund agent".

What to do if you already paid

1. Call your MoMo provider or bank immediately with the receiving number, name, amount and time. Ask them to block or reverse the transaction.
2. Report to the Cyber Security Authority: call or text 292, WhatsApp 0501603111, or email report@csa.gov.gh.
3. Report at your nearest police station and keep the extract.
4. Screenshot the listing, profile and chats before the scammer deletes them.

Then check a number, handle or website on TrustCheck to see if the same MoMo number has scammed others, and report it. For general steps, see how to report a scam in Ghana.