On the Hibiscus Coast, a Facebook Marketplace scam is a reminder to double check payments before handing things over.

Police say a man listed his PlayStation 5 last month to raise $750 for his wife’s dental surgery and agreed to sell it to a woman who contacted him online.

She sent a screenshot claiming she had paid, and he handed over the console outside an address on Geordie Street in Henderson.

When he later checked with his bank, no money had arrived.

He went back to the address, met a different person, and neighbours mentioned similar incidents.

Officers from the Waitematā West Enquiries Team identified a 37-year-old woman living on the street, arrested her without incident, and then found the PS5 at a nearby Cash Converters, where it was still in store.

The console has been returned and she is due in Waitākere District Court on Monday, December 9, charged with obtaining by deception.

Coasties can expect more reminders to meet buyers and sellers in public with a friend, not go into homes, and not pay or hand over items until money has cleared.

You can find scam advice and safety tips at netsafe.org.nz/scams, and police.govt.nz/advice-services/cybercrime-and-internet.

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