UNION COUNTY, N.C. — Two men are behind bars in Union County after scamming victims through Facebook Marketplace, the sheriff’s office tells Channel 9, and now more people are coming forward saying they’ve fallen victim to the scams.
Police told Channel 9′s Dan Matics that the suspect would put an ad on Facebook Marketplace selling a refrigerator, then they’d tell would-be buyers to send a deposit upfront. After that, it was radio silence.
Facebook Marketplace still had the listing on Tuesday. It says Cody Sterling sold a washing machine and a refrigerator in a packaged deal. Union County deputies say that’s a lie.
According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, Sterling was pretending to sell the appliances, but he was really just soliciting deposits through mobile platforms like Cash App, Venmo, or PayPal.
“In this case, he wanted a deposit to show that the buyer was serious,” Lt. James Maye told Channel 9. “Once they sent the deposit, all contact was cut.”
Maye said detectives have spoken with nine victims, but there may be more. They’re asking any potential victims to come forward.
Union County authorities confronted Sterling in an undercover sting, and they also arrested David Webb, who deputies say was driving the vehicle with Sterling. Deputies say there was a warrant out for Webb for being an “out of compliance sex offender.” In this case, he’s accused of not updating his address.
Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has a section online about how to avoid scams on Marketplace, but it’s important to always be suspicious when someone is asking for money upfront through Venmo or Cash App. You can also check reviews for potential sellers -- Sterling’s profile had only one star.
Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke says to trust your instincts.
“If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. If it doesn’t smell right, at least ask more questions,” Stoogenke said.
Both suspects were still in jail as of Tuesday.
(WATCH BELOW: Victim shot during Facebook Marketplace meetup gone wrong in southwest Charlotte, CMPD says)
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