Car detailing scam posts cropping up on Facebook

Duct-cleaning scam posts aren't nearly as common on Facebook as they were a year or two ago, but a new scam seems to have emerged in their wake.

Posts offering cheap car detailing services have been popping up on local Facebook groups in the last few months.

They seem to work very similarly to duct cleaning/HVAC scams, with many of the same characteristics.

Posters will tout "no hidden charges" and offer discounts to the first few customers to take them up.

While the posts seem innocuous at first, telltale signs soon start to emerge.

Copying the post and pasting it into the search bar will show numerous posts with similar or even identical wording from different profiles, many of them from the U.S.

This was recently posted in an Okotoks Facebook group, though similar or even identical posts can be seen in numerous other groups.

The profiles themselves are made to look very convincing, often saying the person attended a local school and containing posts dating back several years.

Further inspection shows these profiles most often made all of their posts on the same day, but the posts were edited to show a much earlier date.

This profile had several posts dated from previous years as far back as 2016, but these posts indicate they were all made on March 10 and edited to show earlier dates.

People who comment on the posts are invited to send the original poster a private message, though some posts do show a text-only phone number.

Posters do not include a business name, website, or social media page.

As always, people looking to employ a car detailing service should search for credibility with any business they're considering. This includes a website or social media page, testimonials, or firsthand experience from a trusted person.