NORTH Wales Police is warning people over a "sharp increase" in Facebook Marketplace fraud in the run up to Christmas.

The force has said that over the weekend members of the public in North Wales reported losses of £4,270. 

The reports include victims paying large deposits or making full payment direct into the suspect's bank account. Unfortunately, the goods are never received. In one instance a large deposit was made for an item but when the victim attended the address provided to collect the item, the elderly occupants were totally unaware of the sale and the victim was left out of pocket.

People selling items have also been targeted by criminals. In one case fraudsters posing as buyers arrived at the victim’s house to collect an item and claimed they had made payment using an online banking app. The suspects were handed the item and left, but the funds were never received by the victim as the banking app was fake.

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A NWP spokesperson said: "Be careful when using Facebook Marketplace as there is little chance of being reimbursed if something goes wrong. When buying items, we advise to carry out transactions face to face where possible, using cash or safe payment services such as Paypal, where a level of protection is offered.

"Don’t pay for an item until you’ve received it and don’t hand over an item you are selling to a buyer until you have received payment.

"If you need to report any fraudulent activity, contact Facebook to report the account, and visit the Action Fraud website or the North Wales Police website or call 101."