Online dealings are commonplace, but that also means a higher risk of fraud, particularly on sites like Facebook Marketplace. To safely navigate and protect your identity, you must be vigilant and follow safety best practices.
Be alert for too-good-to-be-true deals and pressure to make quick payments outside the official system. Genuine sellers should be willing to meet and provide item details. Verify their profile's authenticity, and never give out personal information like your social security number. If in doubt, walk away.
Communicate only through Facebook's messaging service to keep your contacts private. Tell someone about your meet-up plans, and always choose public, well-lit areas for exchanges. Confirm an item's condition before payment, and stick to Facebook-approved payment options. Regularly update your privacy settings on Facebook.
Transparency is vital, whether you're buying or selling. Provide accurate item descriptions, agree on prices upfront, and use fraud-protected payment methods. If using cash, verify the amount on the spot. Remove your listing once the deal is done to maintain marketplace integrity.
Promote a safe trading environment by being honest and cautious. This way, everyone on Facebook Marketplace can benefit from a secure and trustworthy space to buy and sell.
Peer-to-peer marketplaces like Craigslist face an even more daunting challenge. Without a trust model of any sort, scammers are rampant, and the marketplace can be akin to the Wild West. Everyone is tasked with looking out for their own self-interest and their own safety.
Even Facebook Marketplace and dating apps like Tinder face real trust issues. Having a Facebook account doesn’t require verified identity, as noted by the fact that Facebook deleted 1.3 billion fake accounts in the first quarter of 2021 alone. Tinder, which has been accused by some of being a hotbed of predatory behavior and violence against woman, does not required a verified identity to create a dating profile. Catfishers with malevolent intent notoriously use dating platforms.
Dentity offers a no-cost way to verify the identity of people on dating apps like Tinder, selling websites like Craigslist and OfferUp, and social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. It takes less than a minute to create an account. Online criminals hide behind fake identity, so free ID verification can deter many online crimes.
Free Name, Age, and Gender Verification
Dentity allows consumers to verify the name, age, and gender of the people they meet online. Dating apps are notorious for financial scams and catfishers — verifying ID reduces the threat caused by fake profiles and allows consumers to verify basic information like name, age, and gender.
Free to Verify ID, Free to Invite Friends
Dentity is always free. Consumers can create an account in less than a minute and, once their identity is verified, they can invite an unlimited number of friends to join the service.
As more of our lives turn digital, the threat posed by bad actors which seek to do us harm is only increasing. Dentity offers a free identity verification service to consumers to protect them against criminals on sites like Craigslist and OfferUp, Tinder, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Share this post
Try Dentity
Setup a verified profile in minutes