Are you looking to dip your toes in selling your stuff on Facebook Marketplace or Offerup? Maybe you want to declutter and get rid of things that are taking up space. I have some experience selling on these platforms and these are some sure signs I've encountered that tell me the buyer is really a scammer:
They always mention shipping to somebody out of town
They says they're out of town and says they can get a mover to come pick up your item
They send mass emails so they never mention your item specifically in the body. If the person always ask about “your item” or “this item” but not your actual item (i.e. an Iphone).
Asking if you accept cashiers checks or money order is another sign of scams.
They always have weird names, either its too "American" sounding (i.e. Les Holden) or unusually foreign (Hamo Baghadasaryan)
They always tries to take the conversation offline (offers out of town/state phone number)
They hav an out of town phone number and only willing text (probably because they're in India)
When the first few texts asks what is the current condition of the item? Even more so when the ad clearly outlines the condition of said item.
They want to pay via Venmo or Zelle because they're not local
Asking if you will ship things (especially if its big items like furniture)