Groups - Thurston County, WA

Our apologies to anyone posting a legitimate post that appears fraudulent. In the interest of protecting the members of our groups, we have to be overly cautious these days. Should you be posting something you feel could be considered a scam, our best advice is to include things in your post that could prove it's legitimate.

For those actually posting scams, you will be banned from the group.

Some of the more common scams are listed below.

POST A DUCT CLEANING SCAM

ALL duct cleaning posts will result in a permanent ban unless a link is provided to a known local or national company website proving the post to be legitimate.

POST A JOB SCAM

The job postings which are short requests for needing people to pack boxes, work at FedEx, stuff envelopes, etc. etc. Any job posting like this which seems too good to be true, too easy to get, etc. etc. is almost always a scam. Posting one of these will result in a ban from the group.

POST A MOVING AND SELLING EVERYTHING SCAM

The moving and selling everything type of post is not allowed. Posting one will result in a ban.

POST A CHIMNEY CLEANING SCAM

Most of these have turned out to be scams. While there could be a legitimate one, once in a while, to protect the members, all chimney cleaning posts will result in a ban.

POST A SMALL BUSINESS LOAN SCAMS

Any post which purports to have access to funds to lend, will be considered a scam and result in a ban.

POST A BOGUS MEDICAL SCAM

There are a few variations of the "My son was diagnosted with.... and we are selling these shirts", etc. etc. These are known as fake medical fundraisers. Posting one of these, in any variation, will result in a ban.

POST A BOGUS CHARITY SCAM

These scams take several forms, including the following: 1 – The scammer first builds an authentic-looking, but fake website that's a knockoff of a well-known charity's real website. They then purchase ads or place sponsored posts on Facebook requesting donations for some worthy cause. Posting any variation of this scam will result in a ban.

POST A COUPON CODE SCAM

These scams have existed for a long time. They lure people in with a coupon offering amazing deals. While not as prevalent, they still pop up once in awhile. Posting one of these will result in a ban.

POST A FAKE SHOPPING SCAM

These are identified when someone tries to move a conversation outside of Facebook Messenger, asks for payment in the form of a gift card, requests deposits on items before receiving them, asks for items to be shipped before payment is received, or having buyers providing a prepaid shipping label. Posting any variation of this scam will result in a ban.

POST A FAKE GIVEAWAY SCAM

In these scams, they'll send you legitimate-looking messages saying they're giving away money to Facebook users (the exact premise as to why differs). All you have to do is fill in a form with some very personal information, like your bank information and social security number. Posting any variation of this scam will result in a ban.

POST A FAKE ROMANCE SCAM

Romance scams occur when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim's affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim. Posting any variation of this scam will result in a ban.

POST A CAR DETAILING SCAM

This scam is as prevalent, perhaps even more so, than the duct cleaning scam. Posting one of these will result in a permanent ban. Posts by local, known car detailers will be allowed. If we don't know you, and/or you don't provide a business address, you will be banned.

POST A "SOMEONE DIED" SCAM

This scam involves posts or messages that say “Look who died, I think you know him,” followed by several crying emoji. It appears to be a link to a news report. Posting one of these will result in a permanent ban.

POST AN INJURED PET SCAM

This is where a scammer posts about an injured pet returned home. The post gets shared, goes viral, and then the post is edited to include a malicious link or service. It comes in various forms, some even including missing children. Posting any variation of this scam will result in a permanent ban.

POST A DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER'S SCAM

This is a fairly common scam where a post is make about needing help to find someone missing. While rhere are lots of variations of this scam, a common one involves posting about an elderly person, usually a relative, that has gone missing. The play by play of this scam is very similar to the injured pet scam. Any variation of this scam will result in a permanent ban.

POST ANYTHING CONSIDERED FAUDULENT