I Just Got Scammed $1100 by Buying a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra from Facebook Marketplace

Met someone on Facebook at the park, paid cash.

Person in Facebook profile doesn't match.

Obviously catfished, but it was not obvious to me at the time because:

Box was sealed. It has matching IMEIs on the box, on the phone software, and I was even able to add the phone's IMEI to my Samsung account page. It came with a very legit looking receipt from JB Hi-Fi.

But everything else about the phone was all wrong until I started to play around with it.

It's slow, chimes and icons are weird even though it said it has OneUI 7. Phone doesn't support wireless charging or fast charging.

It was an S25 Ultra.

Camera lenses were fake. Like when you zoom it is obvious it's a digital zoom. Only one lens was ever active (you cover the lens to see if it switches to the other lens when zooming).

Went to two police stations to file a report. Both refused to file a report because they cannot see that the phone is fake because the IMEI matches. They have suggested me to go through JB Hi-fi or Samsung Store to verify if the phone is fake.

I won't be able to recover the money. The police are not going to catch anyone from the limited info. I really only wanted to report it, so they have it in the file somewhere to hopefully add to their knowledge that this is happening.

I'm obviously not in the right mind right now. I'm aware lessons learned. But please ask me anything about this scam. I'm happy to take photos to show how sophisticated the packaging is. It even came with a seal with a pull tab on the box.

Really, just posting for awareness. Please go easy on me, I just lost $1100.


Just adding some learnings here:

Common scams:
https://www.tiktok.com/@iskiprodz/video/7411411946626403591
https://www.tiktok.com/@nextgenant/video/7482663113255341354
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxeTXGEzI_0
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/807968
https://ibb.co/qM6q64tS
https://www.reddit.com/r/AusLegal/comments/1frzr4p/bought_fa…
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAnAustralian/comments/1i76laj/fr…

There is an email address for JB Hifi Forensic Team that can help quickly identify fake receipts.

They are very responsive:
[email protected]


Some photos:
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/41247/120458/20250318_…
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/41247/120457/20250318_…
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/41247/120456/20250318_…
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/41247/120454/screensho…
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/41247/120459/20250318_…

Sample listings:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1169453468155288/
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2100827720364129/


UPDATE:

Based on this recommendation: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/16355472/redir

I have asked a few people to contact the seller who is still actively selling this.

Also, i have seen multiple listings with very similar looking receipts.

I have asked JB and the receipt that I had and the one the other sellers are selling are both FAKE.

I called Samsung, the IMEI for EUE is for a product that is made in Vietnam but sold in Austria. It is not supported for warranties in Australia.

I also send another IMEI based on another scam listing and that I added that, it appeared as legit but Samsung confirmed that it was made in South Korea but sold in China.

If you try to add them to your Samsung account it will show this:
"Additional services are limited for products not purchased in your current location.
Please check the country of purchase." which means that it is not covered by warranty in Australia because it was sold overseas.

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Comments

          • @neoleo: How did you convince someone to buy an S25 that was in pieces?

            • @Dan_: My ad was that it's still sealed and has a receipt from a big store here with standard warranty. I put photos of the sealed box. I put links of 3 stores with huge price disparity as comparison (link from JB-HiFi, Bing Lee and Samsung online store). Their price is >$1500 for S25 (the price has gone up after preorder >$1300).

              I put suggestion to meet in a public place such as in McDonald's near me or inside shopping center nearby.

              My offer price was like the cheapest among other ads. I sold S25, not S25 Plus or Ultra. I already had a target profit around $400-$500 each (2 phones).

              The buyer asked from which store? I answered from JB-HiFi.

              The second phone was sold to a phone & accessories shop in the City. Hit my target profit anyway. The price disparity with JB-HiFi price is huge. Maybe that's why even a phone shop that sells second hand/refurbished phones had accepted the phone as it's still sealed and come with JB-HiFi receipt.

    • I believe paying by PayID is still better as its linked to legitimate phone number so cash should be avoided.

      If the transfer doesn't happen immediately, for example CBA sometimes hold it for 24 hours (I don't know if it can be recalled), you end up in a situation where the buyer has paid but you haven't got it, do you give him the goods and take that risk? The buyer surely wants to leave with the goods. What do you do?

      • Happened with me once. The person gave me his driving license pic and the payment came after 24 hours. However, this can be an issue. In NZ, the payment happens At least 2 hours later across different banks so I take bank to bank transfers or cash payment. Have been scammed with cross bank transfer before.

        I think buying with PayID is better. Selling with cash is better.

        • +1

          The thing with cash is there are fakes and there really good fakes. When I used to run my retail store there was a point I couldn't tell because they really well done especially if someone slipped a few into a wad.

          They always come from people of certain backgrounds. It can be a harmless looking older lady with kids to a younger guy but it's always that background of person.

          So just saying cash isn't safe.

    • I recently sold my s25 ultra but someone who was tried to negotiate with me also got scammed for 1250 for 1TB version.

      how do you get scammed if you are selling it?

      • The buyer or negotiator got scammed. We didn’t agree on the price for 512gb used one and he bought 1 TB brand new cheaper than what he offered me for a used phone.
        He mentioned later that he got scammer by a fake s25 ultra phone. So this is a common phenomenon with new models

        • you said you got scammed or are you saying it as in a hypothetical way?

          • @Poor Ass: The potential buyer got scammed with the same model and receipt for 1250. The OP got scammed for 1100.

            I was selling legit 512gb S25 ultra at that time and I wasn’t able to strike the deal with the legit potential buyer. He went to other listing that was cheaper than mine and got scammed.

      • I think he meant the potential buyer got scammed earlier, strange still persisting to buy from market place.

        Seller can get scammed too, usually involves online payments. The old trick was scammer intentionally over pay using stolen credit cards, then asks for the difference back (or refund) in bank transfers.

        The more recent trick is they send you some phony payment notification, but it requires to open an account somewhere to receive that money and part of the process is to transfer a refundable deposit to prove identity.

        They were never going for the meet, make up excuses that a friend or relative will pickup, they want to pay first. They are typically from overseas using hacked profiles.

        • yep I know they can but facebook and scamtree golden rule cash only

          • @Poor Ass: Agreed, cash only. Cash on pickup is in the listing, I sometimes remind buyer just before the meet by asking if they have exact amount.

            Some buyers assume PayID is instant and therefore "same as cash", without prior discussion just showed up wanting to PayID.

  • +1

    Sorry this has happened to you OP, that sucks.

    The old cliche rings true, if it is too good to be true, it probably is.

    You could report to Cyber.gov.au, the government's cyber crime department as another option, but safe to say the cash is most likely gone.

    I know a few people who have got their money back and the perps charged via this method back years ago, but it was a bank deposit transaction so easier to track.

  • Go to the shop and have them have a look at it and confirm its genuiness. That way atleast you can then report to the the police.

  • -5

    A lot of apartment owners in Sydney pay over $1,300 per quarter for strata management fee and they get nothing back too… just saying.

    • admin fee and sinking fund

      you get something or at least shitty service but feels like nothing

      • sinking fund - once you sell you get nothing back. at least you can stop paying strata fee after you sell.

        • ya that's the way

          better than $3000+ body corp in the city apartments

    • +4

      You take the cake for the most irrelevant comment on this thread.

      • I think they just wanted to make the thread about them and their $1300 quarterly bill (which they would have known about when the signed a contract).

      • -1

        I am just trying to make the OP feels better - at least he got a phone which can make calls…….

  • +1

    Stop buying expensive items from Facebook/Gumtree/etc.

    Scammers love these sites because the buyer has no recourse when they realise they've been scammed.

    The only things I'd buy off such sites are cheap enough that I can write it off if I got scammed. Or simple enough that it's just as easy to make the real thing.

    • Yep. Agree. Don't buy something you will regret losing. My max I will buy from fb is 600 to 700 not more.

      This post however was an eye opener. I was thinking of getting a samsung s25+over the marketplace.

      Thanks op for sharing your experience. It's tough.

      • Even selling legit phone to legit buyer is not easy. Get 90% scammers who are trying to get hold off the phone for free.

        • It's safer to sell it to a phone shop that also sells second hand/refurbished phones. I did this and still got the profit ;-)

  • Appreciate you sharing this so others don't get scammed.

    Amazing that they even went so far as to fake a JB receipt printed on thermal paper. All the packaging looks legit to me.

    Really the alarm bells would be why they were willing to sell a phone they bought for $2,737 within a month for 40% of what they bought it for. If it's too good to be true, be skeptical.

  • +1

    thanks OP for sharing.

    why are there so many assho$3s here? if you don't have anything nice to say just shut up. not that hard to do

    • Some people may be smarter than me by not falling for these scams. However, if the police can't even be convinced that it's fake then that means there are more victims out there.

  • -8

    What can daddy government do to make our lives more orwellian and keep people like OP wrapped in cotton wool protected from Darwinism?

    • +4

      Must think you're smart with your comment

      • +1

        You can go a head call him stupid, no other word for it.

        He probably just learnt the word orwelian today.

  • -6

    Honestly being a tightass can be so costly, $2600 phone for $1100 and you didn't suspect something was up even though it was as sealed unit?

    LOL

    Now that phone is going to cost you a new phone + $1100 you paid - how does being a tightass now feel?

    • +7

      how does being an a$$hole makes your day to day feel?

      I am just learning about this scam and appreciating OP for sharing this, despite of the stress they must've feel.
      If you can't say anything nice or kind, just hold your fingers man

      • +2

        Where is the common sense? "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" - well deserved teaching moment.

        • there are discussions above about how $1100 may still be possible

          • +1

            @meong: Honestly even if someone got something for free or much cheaper than RRP, they are not going to sell for well below market price especially if it is new. Keep that in mind for next time.

        • +1

          bb b but my feelings!!

    • +4

      Most - if not all of us on here are tightasses.

      Your attitude stinks mate. Here is OP bearing his sole and admitting mistakes and you kick them when they are down? Nice job.

    • +2

      Dude don't kick an injured soldier. OP is sharing with us. We all make mistakes.

    • +2

      Even JV down-voted you, that's saying something.

  • -4

    What race / nationality did they seem? Were they Australian?

    • Were they Australian?

      I doubt OP asked the conman for a birth certificate or certificate of citizenship…. I might be wrong though.

    • I can say the person's ethnicity was different to their FB accounts.

      Information like this can be described as profiling for the police but I cannot share here due to racial backlash.

      • +2

        Also because it's not really relevant

  • Sounds like buying brand new would have been cheaper after all OP

    • Not buying anything would have been cheaper 🥲

  • This is wild, jeepers

  • +1

    I don't mean to rub salt into the wound however this deal had plenty of red flags that should have made you pull the plug. the first being the price,the second being meeting place and lastly the dodgy looking receipt, the receipt alone would have screamed at me there is something seriously wrong here.

    • Sometimes when i (assuming, will) get $2200 phone for $1100 brand new, i feel like the luckiest person in the planet and forget other things…

      • +1

        i suppose you successfully described how i was feeling when i made the purchase

        • yeah been there when i made the (low) offer and seller accepted, i was like in the 7th heaven couldnt believe it i wish i can just fly to meet and transact in that very moment in case someone else steal the deal….

  • Years ago….Got fake s8 from ebay biggest give away is the camera, like 480p quality.
    Lucky ebay sided with me i got full refund.
    Seller said i didnt know its fake yeah right…

    Then months ago got scammed from facebook but this is $90 nintendo ds so i just cry for 10mins and move on….

    • +1

      Make it back with another deal like PureVPN 130% cashback (almost $50) every month ;-)

  • Ah damn. The sophistication of the scam is a cut above the usual stuff you hear about. Thanks for passing on the lessons you paid for! The lure of the bargain is a weakness a few members of this website would be vulnerable to.

    • its also worth noting that there are multiple listings about this.

      • Just out of curiosity, what is the date on your receipt right at the bottom. This is from the one i screenshot as a scam before

        Receipt No: 4820287750783
        0408245963 08421 048 21 31/02/25 12:19
        Thankyou for shopping at
        JB HIFI - Doncaster
        Please retain recept as proof of purchase

          • +1

            @meong: If you have purchased from JB hifi and received hard copy receipt previously, you can easily say its fake receipt. For example, they mention IMEI in comments.

            • @Ash-Say: What do you mean by IMEI in comments?

            • @Ash-Say: My JB receipt from S25 did not have IMEI in the comments, possibly because it was a pre order. Not a good way to tell. However I see the fake ones tend to have a barcode at the bottom which I have never seen on a real one, and the font looks off as well.

              • @AwesomeAndrew: loads of issues with the receipt, look at the column alignment (or lack thereof), number formatting, inconsistent details etc etc. screams someone creating it on the fly.

  • +1

    Yeah, this sucks, and if I were in your shoes I'd feel the same way. I do sympathise with you in that regard. Thanks for bringing this to light as it it quite sophisticated.

    The biggest red flag that would've made me suspicious though was the price and the fact that it was on Facebook Marketplace.

    Why would someone sell a phone for $1100 they bought a month ago for $2700? If it sounds too good to be true, well, you know the rest. These are questions you just can't turn a blind eye to.

    Try to look at the positives in life though, as hard as it may be. Be thankful it was $1100 and not more, or even worse, your life, as those things happen too.

  • Thank you for sharing.

  • Man that sucks, but thanks for this post, I almost fell for a used apple watch ultra on marketplace, I wont bother with it now

    • lol thats way diff then op. thats most likely real. not every ad is fake.

  • +1

    A few people saying this is "sophisticated". It sounds like just a good bad old fashioned counterfeit scam, albeit with good execution. Instead of fake Nikes or YSL handbags it's mobile phones.

    Sorry to hear this happened to you, @meong.
    I would advise you log out of the device and then, using a different trusted device, change any passwords of any accounts you signed into on the counterfeit device. It's possible the scammers may be trying to steal login details to steal even more from you. If you haven't done so already.

    • Luckily I haven't signed into any account. Only Wifi so far.

      • Change your wifi password.

        What Can Hackers Do
        If hackers connect to your Wi-Fi, they can perform several malicious activities. They can conduct man-in-the-middle attacks, which involve intercepting and possibly altering data transmitted across the network.
        Hackers can also use your internet connection for their own purposes, such as downloading large files or engaging in illegal activities.
        Moreover, they can gain access to and control some of your internet-connected devices, like smart TVs or Chromecasts.
        In more advanced scenarios, hackers can attempt to brute force the router's admin password, allowing them to take control of the router itself.
        Once they have control of the router, they can redirect all your internet traffic to a malicious DNS server, which can steal your information and install malware on your devices.
        If a hacker has your Wi-Fi password and IP address, they could potentially log into your router and redirect DNS traffic, monitor the sites you request, and open ports to allow them to connect even if your IP changes.
        They might also perform ARP spoofing, tricking your computer into thinking their computer is the router and redirecting traffic through their PC to inspect packets.
        This can lead to the theft of unencrypted data in plain text.
        To protect yourself, it's important to change your router's default username and password, update the firmware regularly, and use strong, unique passwords for your Wi-Fi network.
        Additionally, setting up a guest network can help segment traffic and reduce the risk of a full network breach.

        • +1

          This is most likely unnecessary and overly paranoid.
          If someone wanted to hack your wifi, they would need to be physically near your house. Even once they get into your wifi, the most that they would be able to do is redirect and capture traffic, however most traffic nowadays is encrypted therefore this would be mostly useless.
          If a hacker really wanted to brute force your router admin password, they'd have to stay near your house for a few days trying. If they're willing to go through that, they would be able to brute force your wifi password as well, which is likely much easier as WPA2 can be brute forced offline while router admin password needs to be bruted forced online.
          The only reason you may actually want to change your wifi password is if you run services on LAN which do not require additional authentication. Hackers knowing your wifi password can easily get into those.

          • +1

            @AwesomeAndrew: You don’t need to be right next to the house to get a good signal. Just get a high gain directional antenna paired with a Wi-Fi scanner, and you’ll be able to capture signals from a distance. And you can redirect the signal by building a mesh network to extend the Wi-Fi coverage over long distances.

  • +2

    If ever there was a post deserving of "bikies" as a response this is it.

    If you want to do it more legitimately, set up a sting, photograph the perpetrator and get their car rego. Take some backup, maybe follow them home.

    • +1

      Yep. It's true. Forget the police. They will not do anything. Give the scammers a taste of their own medicine. Break their knees and make them learn the lesson

  • Expensive lesson to learn. What if you found out it was a scam during the deal, you might be stabbed and robbed.

  • The box says 16GB which is a red flag, it only comes in 12GB RAM. 🔍

    • In Australia. Some other countries got 16 GB variant (e.g China).

  • -3

    Probably not ideal, but who's name is the receipt in?

    Can you claim TRS if you fly out in the next month or so?

    • Lol yeah digging himself a bigger hole then possibly going to jail for it is great advice actually.

  • -7

    Sorry Bro, firstly I have very little empathy for stories like this firstly because every part of this transaction you had control over, you tried to be a cheap skate and took shortcuts which ended up not being so short, secondly you thought transacting several 100 bucks on FB market place was a good idea.
    Trust and Authenticity cost money , thats why the legitimate retailers are more expensive. FB provides no guarantees or assurances on trust or authenticity of either buyer or seller so you have learnt a valuable lesson. If you get done over on FB marketplace thats on you don't use the platform to trade items of significant value.

    Now cut your losses and buy from a legitimate retailer.

  • -4

    Why would someone be selling a brand new phone? That's mistake number one. And if you want a flagship phone then (profanity) pay for it.

  • As they say, cheaper is more expensive..

  • Just noticed something….
    The TAC (first 8 digits of IMEI number) indicates the device manufacturer and model number. The TAC should be the same for dual Sim phones. Upon checking the TAC's printed on the outside of your box, it's clear they are very different.

    Second, if it's a device destined for the AU market then it should have the bands necessary for operation here. I entered the IMEI of your device here and it tells me a freshly released flagship device won't work in Australia post 3G shutdown. Sure it could be an S25 variant destined for another market but the seller claims he bought this from JB HI FI.

    Just some things to consider for anyone else looking at buying a phone off online marketplaces.

    • I added some updates on the main post.

      Basically these are IMEI for phones that are not sold in Australia. The one i bought was actually sold in Austria and i saw some other scam listing showing phones which are sold in China.

      It can be added to the Samsung Account page but you cannot book a repair. You can try adding the IMEI to your account page.

    • No, on my real S25 Ultra from JB HIFI the TAC is different for the 2 SIMs. But I agree in the past it has usually been the same.

  • in 2017 a friend of mine bought a used samsung note 5 from facebook, soon he realised its not the original hardware and software and inbuilt s pen never worked. So i decided never buy something from facebook that is more than $99.

  • While unfortunate that you were scammed.
    I appreciate the length you have gone to inform others about the scam and how to avoid.

  • +1

    Just wanted to say I’m sorry for your loss mate. I’ve fallen victim to a similar scam in past with an iPhone on gumtree so I know how bad it feels. Scammer got away with it and I got an expensive lesson

  • Thanks for sharing your experience. I f@cking hate scammers in any form, and double hate the cesspit that is facebook marketplace that facilitates it.

    This is not a scam i would fall for, but will share your story with friends/family who are more susceptible…

  • +2
    • I replied to one of them that the JB Hifi receipt is invalid and they went silent.

      Btw, i posted in the main post the email address of JB's forensic team.

    • Honestly, this is really a good idea. You know if receipt is provided for a brand new high value item, go to its store to have it verify. Nice. Better than dealing at police station, because 99% of the time police is not going to do anything about it.

    • posting their deets probably isn't a good idea. Usually people from here start sending them msgs, causing them to close their profile. Recommend deleting their deets or blurring it.

      • its not hard to find more listings.

        Simply search for S25 Ultra and you will see many with "Brand new" or "sealed".

        Some will show the JB Hifi receipts and if you send them to the forensics address mentioned above, they will be able to confirm whether its fake or not.

        Some listings will have their IMEI listed and you can request them on some of them. Then you can add them to your Samsung account and it will say "Additional services are limited for products not purchased in your current location.
        Please check the country of purchase." which means, no warranty cover in Australia because they were sold overseas.

        Sample listings:
        https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1169453468155288/
        https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2100827720364129/

        • Yeah agree why need to ask others to set trap you can create new fb accounts or ask families. And do it fast before they disappear. Offer slight more to quickly make a deal. Bring lots of people, ready with cameras and speed dial 911.
          Its not about easy to find other listing but too many message they will smell the trap.
          Quick bro

        • Sorry, thought that was the actual person. They sometimes work in groups or could be one person with heaps of accounts.

      • It makes no difference - likely false facebook profiles with fake contact details, or even hacked accounts. Better to report the listings and try to get them taken down. It annoys the seller and hopefully helps prevent someone else getting scammed.
        They popup again within the day with a new account and new listing… but at least there is some level of irritation.

        • i have reported that since Tuesday and yet my friends are still able to receive response from the same seller.

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