MIAMI (WSVN) - A Facebook Marketplace scam left one Miami woman heartbroken and out hundreds of dollars earlier this year. On Friday, the victim, who did not wish to be identified, said things have since changed.
The scammed victim had agreed to sell a shelving unit from her closed-down family business now that her husband was sick in the hospital.
She met the buyer through the application, and he arrived for the transfer on Sept. 18 without money; once the merchandise was loaded into his vehicle, he promised to Zelle the victim $250.
The money never came in, and the victim went to 7News and Miami Police to report the scam.
“I wanted to cry,” she said.
Weeks later, the victim said a payment hit her Zelle.
“Honestly, I have to thank you and the Channel 7 News and the Miami Police Department,” said the victim. “Thanks to you, this happened.”
Days after 7News reported on her story, the victim says a relative of the man who scammed her reached out and paid the money he owed.
“She paid, sent me a Zelle,” said the victim. “…So, thank you so much for your help.”
Since the family repaid the victim, she agreed not to press charges.
“It was a happy ending, not only for the victim, but also the subject who, in the end, is not facing any charges,” said Miami Police spokesperson Mike Vega.
He says he knew this would be the outcome all along.
“And as I said, someone in your family is going to turn you in,” said Vega. “A family member is gonna see what happened and they’re gonna be the ones that are gonna set him straight and tell him, ‘Hey, do the right thing.”
The victim shared that many people wanted to do the generous thing.
“So many people called and offered to pay me,” she said. “There’s a lot of good people still out there.”
Vega believes this should be a lesson to those who do and don’t do the right thing.
“Now, I hope that this is a lesson, not only to him but to others who are doing these things, that if you do the right thing, you have nothing to worry about,” Vega said.
Vega’s tips for avoiding scams on Facebook Marketplace or other online sites are to check people’s profiles and see whether they have reviews. If they don’t have any reviews, it is recommended not to do business with that person.
In addition, if possible, participants in the sale should have someone with them during transactions.
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