Michael Reeves returns from YouTube hiatus to “scam” people on Facebook Marketplace

YouTube personality Michael Reeves shared his experience again, disclosing that he constructed a bot for the purpose of tricking individuals on Facebook Marketplace.

Since the year 2017, Michael Reeves has amassed a fan base exceeding 7 million members on his YouTube platform, largely due to his entertaining approach to technology-focused projects, such as designing a robot capable of plucking tomatoes from salads.

Instead of him, Reeves rarely posts new videos. In fact, he shared only a single video in 2024, just two in 2023, and it took him eight months to upload another one following his last video. Yet, here we are with yet another interesting project from the YouTuber.

On February 6, 2025, I, an enthusiastic admirer of technology and innovation, delved into the intriguing account by Michael Reeves, where he unveiled the methodology and rationale behind creating a bot designed to simulate scams on Facebook Marketplace.

Michael Reeves builds a bot to “scam” Facebook users

He initiated the video by expressing his desire to purchase a motorcycle. He admitted to having an addiction to drugs, particularly haggling people on Facebook Marketplace. He confessed that he has managed to lowball someone occasionally. However, he mentioned that more often than not, they choose to ignore him due to his lack of skill in negotiating. Nevertheless, he is keen on acquiring a motorcycle at a reduced price.

The intention behind this bot is to play pranks on Facebook Marketplace users, consistently offering them lower prices. It aims to wear them down mentally, only to later make a sudden, substantial offer when they seem most discouraged. However, humorously speaking, he joked about it.

Here’s my spin on it:

I embarked on an intriguing journey, crafting a digital assistant using fabricated identities on Facebook. My mission was to engage users with a modest proposal hidden within a message.

He employed ChatGPT to infuse the bot’s messages with a touch of personality, and even tried to negotiate a lower price for a computer monitor before buying a motorcycle using it as a bargaining tool.

Hello! I’m intrigued by the screen you have, which seems to be having some issues. How about we make a deal? I’d like to purchase it from you for $20, given its vibrant colors and other features. It doesn’t seem to me that it’s still worth $50 as is.” said the bot.

To my delight, I managed to negotiate a deal that netted me an item for under half its original price, thanks to that smart lowballing bot! After giving it a spin in a couple more transactions, I ended up pocketing some cash when I scored a motorcycle at a bargain.

“All we had to do was systematically gaslight a bunch of people on Facebook Marketplace,” he said.

It’s uncertain if he intends to utilize the robot for additional transactions, but if he had constructed it in 2024, he might have made a bargain price bid for a used PlayStation Experience trailer.

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2025-02-07 02:28