Advice when selling something on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, OfferUp

[Kyle in Woodstock]

Just thought I'd remind you guys, in case you didn't know....to be careful giving out your phone number to someone that is interested in buying a grill or whatever it is that you are selling.

I am selling a Milwaukee impact drill on OfferUp. Someone sends me a message saying they are interested. We exchange a few messages, then they ask for my phone number. Doesn't seem like a big deal.
Shortly after I give them the phone number, they text me. I respond. Then moments later I get a separate text from Google with a Google Voice verification code. The person from OfferUp asks me to give them that verification code.
Something didn't seem right about that so I did a quick Google search and found out this is just a way for someone to scam you. Never give anyone any sort of verification code. No legit person will ever ask for one.

I found this that talks about the scam.

Someone sent me a request for a verification code then google voice sent me a code....260161. I have not authorized anyone else on this account . Do i need to do anything to make sure this email is secure? - Google Voice Community

The scam:

1. You put your own personal telephone number (mobile or landline number) out in public somewhere (on a classified ad, or a dating website, or wherever).
2. Some scammer contacts you via text or email about your ad. They tell you a story about how they need you to prove you are real person, or a legitimate seller, not a bot, and, that they are using a special phone service that requires that you give them the six-digit code number that will be played to you by an automated verification call you will receive from Google, or via a text message.
3. The scammer is, in reality, going through the Google Voice setup process. They tell Google Voice to call your personal number, and then the call speaks the code, along with a warning to not share the code with anyone. Somehow, you ignore that explicit warning and give the scammer the code number. When you do that, THEY, not you, are issued a Google Voice number, using your personal number as the forwarding number for their account.

 

[Bruce]

Thanks, I will be on the lookout for that.

 

[M Andreyka]

They are trying to reset your password on your google account which is linked to a lot of things for most people

 

[Joe V]

Thank you for that heads-up. I remember the days when it was “buyers beware”.

 

[MartinB]

Old scam.
Someone on craigslist tried it on me once, I told them to go screw themselves.

It is a way of using your phone #, to verify a new google voice type #.....then they can use the google voice # to run scams. You get blamed.

This amounts to attempted wire fraud. There is a fbi website to submit the phone # that attempted this. Its particular to these scams....just google it.