Facebook Marketplace asking to send code

Selling items on an online marketplace like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace can be an easy way to make extra money and get rid of things you don’t need. However, scammers are using a clever trick to target sellers and set up a phone number in their name.

How the Scam Works

You list an item and get an immediate response from a potential buyer. The “buyer” claims to be very interested in your item, but they want to make sure you are legitimate first. The scammer asks for your phone number, so they can text you a verification code. They instruct you to reply with the 6-digit code on the platform where your item is listed.

Sounds reasonable, right? However, here’s what’s really happening. The scammer is setting up a Google Voice number linked to your phone number. If you send the verification code, the scammer will be able to complete the account set up. Then, the scammer can then use that phone number to conceal their identity. Or, if a scammer gets your Google Voice verification code and other information about you, they can pretend to be you and open new accounts in your name.

One seller told BBB Scam Tracker about their experience listing and item on Facebook Marketplace and getting a response from an interested buyer. “He asked if he could call/text me. Then, I agreed and he said, ‘Ok first I want to verify you. If you’re real I will trust and meet you. Can I send the verification code to your phone number?’” At that, the seller got suspicious and asked if it was a scam. He didn’t hear from the man again.

How to Avoid Online Marketplace Scams

• Guard your personal information. You don’t need to give someone your phone number to make a sale on an online marketplace. Be sure you know who you are speaking with before you share it. Never give out your phone number in public social media posts.
• Watch out for red flags. Avoid making transactions with people who offer you deals that sound too good to be true (i.e. overpaying for an item you listed for sale) or people who pressure you to make a deal quickly.
• Understand marketplace policies. Most online marketplaces encourage you NOT to take transactions outside of the platform. If someone asks you to carry out transactions elsewhere, be wary. Understand how the platform you use verifies both sellers and buyers and stick to their guidelines when selling and buying items.

For More Information

Get more tips by reading the BBB Tip: Selling used items online. Read more about this scam on the Federal Trade Commission website.

Report suspicious activity to marketplace platforms and to BBB.org/ScamTracker immediately. Even if you didn’t fall victim to the scam, your experience can help others to stay vigilant.

About the BBB serving Central Virginia:

BBB serving Central Virginia serves Richmond, the Tri-Cities, Charlottesville, and Fredericksburg, as well as 42 surrounding counties from Fauquier to Mecklenburg and Northumberland to Amherst. The nonprofit organization was established in 1954 to advance responsible, honest, and ethical business practices and to promote customer confidence through self-regulation of business. Core services of BBB include business profiles, dispute resolution, truth-in advertising, scam warnings, consumer and business education, and charity review.

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - There's a new scam circulating Facebook Marketplace - scammers are using your phone number, plus a code, to get into your Google accounts.

A person may post something on Marketplace, like a couch, and moments later, someone messages saying they're interested. But instead of messaging on Facebook, the scammer asks for a phone number.

“She wanted to make sure that I wasn’t a scammer, so she needed my phone number,” Kathy Donovan said.

After Donovan gave the scammer her phone number, she got an alert on her phone from Google with a code. She then gave the scammer the code, but fortunately for Donovan, it didn't work. Donovan's phone number was already verified with Google, blocking access for the scammer.

“She kept on pestering me for other phone numbers, and I started wondering, 'Something’s not right about this... why would you need a different phone number?'" Donovan said.

She said that's when she realized she almost got caught up in a scam.

“I felt like an idiot when I realized the moment hit me that I’m being scammed, and I didn’t even see it coming,” Donovan said.

She said she quickly changed her passwords to all of her accounts and unlinked accounts from her Google.

“It was a huge hassle; you’ve got a password for everything,” Donovan said.

The Better Business Bureau has a few tips for dealing with this scam:

• Be cautious giving your phone number to someone you don't know.
• Contact Google support if there's suspicious activity on your account.
• Use the BBB ScamTracker to make a report.

Donovan said she wants to warn others.

“I wasn’t aware that this kind of thing would ever be a problem. There was no concept in my head that somehow someone could get into my Google account and from there get all my information,” Donovan said.

Related: Tips for avoiding social media scams and fraud

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