Should you pay a deposit to hold an item on Facebook Marketplace?

How the deposit scam works

The deposit scam is simple, which is why it lasts. It follows the same few steps whether the item is a sectional, a PlayStation, a puppy, a car or an apartment.

1. The bait. A listing for something people want, at a price that’s good but believable. Not so cheap that it screams scam; just cheap enough that you’re afraid of losing it.
2. The rush. You message and get a fast, friendly reply: it’s available, but lots of people are asking.
3. The delay. The seller can’t meet yet. They’re at work until Sunday, at the cottage, moving, out of the country, or their brother has the key.
4. The ask. “Send a $50 deposit and I’ll hold it for you, and take it off the price.” Usually by e-Transfer, Zelle, Venmo, PayPal Friends and Family or a gift card, sometimes through a “secure deposit link”.
5. The ending. Either silence and a blocked profile, or a second ask: delivery, insurance, a higher bid from “another buyer”. The fees keep coming until you stop paying.

Here’s how it tends to read in a chat (an illustrative example):

Yes it’s available but I’ve had 8 messages about it. I’m working out of town till Monday. If you e-transfer $60 now I’ll mark it pending for you and take it off the price.

Meta’s own guidance tells buyers to avoid deposits on high-value items without verification, and Kijiji’s safety page for vehicles says never send a deposit before inspecting. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s advice for buying online is the same idea in plain words: pick the item up and pay in person.

Phrases that mean stop

None of these proves a scam on its own. Each is a reason to slow down, and two together is a reason to leave.

• “Lots of interest, first to send a deposit gets it.”
• “Send $50 to hold it and I’ll take it off the price.”
• “I’m away for work (or deployed, or moving), but I can ship it once you pay.”
• “E-transfer first.” “Zelle only.” “PayPal friends and family only.”
• “Can you pay the deposit with a gift card?”
• “Use this link to reserve it securely.”
• “Text me at…” or “Add me on WhatsApp to sort out the deposit.”
• “It’s a refundable deposit.”

“First come, first served” is not on the list. Honest sellers say it all the time, and it’s fair: whoever turns up with the money gets the item. The scam is pressure plus money before you’ve seen anything. For the full list of lines scammers use, see our guide to Facebook Marketplace scams.

What to say instead

You don’t need to accuse anyone. One of these replies sorts honest sellers from the rest:

1. “I can come and see it today at 6. I’ll pay in full when I pick it up.” The simplest answer, and the one most real sellers want to hear.
2. “Could we do a quick video call so I can see it? Then I’ll bring the money at pickup.” Useful when the seller really is busy. A scammer with stolen photos can’t show you the item live.
3. “I don’t do deposits on things I haven’t seen. If it sells before I get there, no hard feelings.” Polite, final, and it costs you nothing.

An honest seller usually says fine, or tells you someone else is coming first. If the seller goes quiet, gets angry, or drops the price to get you to pay now, you have your answer. If you want a lower price, ask for it in person, not as a trade for a deposit: our guide on how to negotiate on Marketplace has wording that works.

Is a deposit ever OK?

Occasionally, with safeguards. Never for an unseen item from a private seller you haven’t met.

• A registered business. A dealership or shop that gives you a written receipt saying whether the deposit is refundable, and takes a credit card. Look the business up yourself rather than trusting a link in the chat.
• Custom or made-to-order work. A table built to your size from a real workshop, invoiced, paid by card.
• A private sale you’ve already seen. You’ve inspected the car, agreed a price, and need a day to get a bank draft. A small deposit handed over in person, with a signed note of what it’s for and when the sale completes, is reasonable.
• Rentals: never before a viewing. Rental listings are a favourite for deposit scams. The FTC says about half of the rental scams reported to it in the 12 months to June 2025 started on Facebook.

Already paid a deposit?

Speed matters more than anything else. Some payments can still be stopped in the first hours.

1. Call your bank, card issuer or payment app now. Tell them it was a scam, not a dispute with a seller. Ask whether the payment can be cancelled or recalled.
2. Save the evidence. Screenshot the listing, the seller’s profile and the whole chat, and keep payment receipts and reference numbers.
3. Stop paying. Don’t send “refund fees”, “release fees” or a second deposit to get the first one back.
4. Report the listing and the profile on Facebook, or the ad on Kijiji, so the next buyer is warned.
5. Report the fraud. In Canada, to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (online or 1-888-495-8501) and your local police; in the US, at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
6. Ignore anyone offering to recover the money for a fee. The CAFC counted $25.9 million lost to recovery pitches in 2025.

Our guide to buyer protection on Facebook Marketplace has the reporting steps for each country, and when Facebook itself will refund you.

How Sift flags it

Sift, a free browser extension for Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji, reads each listing for the wording of this scam. When a listing asks for a deposit or payment first (a deposit, an e-transfer first, Zelle, gift cards, wire or PayPal friends), Sift puts a “Check this” chip on the photo. Click it and the details card shows the words it matched, so you can judge for yourself.

Sift deliberately ignores “first come, first served” on its own, since honest sellers say it too. It reads listings, not your messages, so a deposit request that only arrives in Messenger is still yours to spot. On Facebook, the full description is checked when you open a listing, in a small panel on the page. Sift runs in Chrome, Edge and Brave on a computer.