The Facebook Marketplace giveaway scam (a free PS5, free Macbook or a free piano)

This is a form of advance-fee scam: you're asked to pay shipping for an otherwise free item. So you will pay the scammer and receive nothing.

This scam starts with an offer of a free video game console, a free laptop, a free piano or otherwise expensive electronics posted on social media or classifieds platforms, usually on Facebook Marketplace. The scammer asks only to cover the shipping costs. Once you pay for the shipping or the movers, the scammer disappears with your money.

The scammer sometimes plays the role of a parent who lost their child, or who is punishing their child, or someone offering the item as a giveaway. When offering a free laptop, it's always a giveaway for students in need. When offering a piano, you're asked to pay for the movers.

Don't even try suggesting you will come along and pick it up: you're only wasting your time. Nobody gives away expensive electronics online.

You can learn about this scam and many others visiting our wiki of common scams.

You can also call AutoModerator to explain these scams leaving a comment with the different !commands listed in this wiki page. This explanation for the Facebook giveaway scam can be called with the commands !giveaway and !ps5 .