A red 1994 Ford Ranger pickup truck, purchased through Facebook Marketplace, became the focal point of a brutal attack that left a pregnant woman dead and her home ablaze in Downers Grove, Illinois, on January 27, according to police reports.
Nedas Revuckas, 19, is accused of stabbing Eliza Morales, 30, approximately 70 times before setting fire to her residence. Revuckas allegedly confessed to the crime, telling authorities he was dissatisfied with the condition of the truck he’d bought from Morales’ husband a week prior, according to court documents.
The incident is part of a disturbing trend of violence linked to online marketplaces, where arrangements for in-person transactions are increasingly turning deadly. Just days earlier, on January 23, Michael Ryan Burke, 42, a decorated Marine and pastor in Columbia, Missouri, was fatally shot after responding to an ad for his iPhone 15 on Facebook Marketplace.
Police in Missouri arrested four individuals allegedly involved in a string of phone-stealing robberies facilitated through the platform. The group is accused of targeting sellers and using force to steal their devices. Burke, in his final moments, texted his mother and sister, “I am dying, I love you,” according to a GoFundMe page created in his memory.
The dangers extend beyond robberies and assaults. In November 2023, Carlos Carrazana Ricardo, 18, was shot and killed in Baltimore, Maryland, after accompanying a friend to inspect a used Acura advertised on Facebook Marketplace. The friend, unable to speak English, had asked Ricardo to translate during the meeting. When they decided against purchasing the vehicle due to its poor condition, the seller, Marquis Harris, allegedly opened fire, striking Ricardo in the head, according to police.
Harris was subsequently found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life plus 10 years in prison. Ricardo’s mother, Yanet Ricardo Vega, expressed her grief and frustration, stating, “I thought Facebook Marketplace was a secure place. There should be more verification somehow.”
These incidents have prompted calls for increased safety measures on Facebook Marketplace. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, provides safety advice on the platform, recommending users meet in public, well-lit areas and share their plans with others. However, critics argue these measures are insufficient.
Cybersecurity expert Steve Weisman, who runs the scam-prevention blog Scamicide, believes Facebook attracts an older demographic although perpetrators are often younger. “The scammers have a knowledge of psychology that Freud would have envied,” Weisman said. “They’re able to prey upon people, and they do it with the assistance of companies like Facebook [who] create it easy.”
A 2021 investigation by ProPublica identified 13 homicides linked to Facebook Marketplace transactions. In 2025, police in Dayton, Ohio, reported at least 40 thefts connected to Marketplace meet-ups. The NYPD also reported a pattern of nine armed robberies in the Bronx and Queens, where suspects used fake ads to lure victims, making off with at least $17,000 in cash and cell phones. The suspects, using the aliases “Akeem Brown” and “George Smith,” remain at large.
Former Meta integrity researcher Jason Sattizahn, testifying before a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee in September 2025, criticized the platform’s safety record. “Marketplace causes suffering for users, including financial loss from stolen or counterfeit items, and personal safety issues ranging from being sexually propositioned by strangers to physical assaults and attempted kidnapping,” Sattizahn stated. His research indicated that 9% of users reported a negative experience with the platform in the past month.
Meta did not respond to a request for comment. The company has not announced any immediate changes to its safety protocols.
In March 2025, a couple in Missouri were held at gunpoint after listing an electric fireplace for sale on Facebook Marketplace. The buyer, identified as “Hotrod Scott,” pulled a gun after they plugged in the fireplace to demonstrate it worked. The couple’s experience was shared on Facebook, leading to the discovery that others had been robbed by the same individual, who was later arrested.
For Carlos Ricardo’s mother, the loss is immeasurable. “Carlos was the best son in the world. He was a great student, a great brother and son,” she said.
