Is Facebook Marketplace Asking for Phone Number? No, I don’t think so; take a step back!
Wait…! Did a buyer just send you a message saying that they were very interested in the thing or product you listed?
But before they can go any further, they need to make sure you are a real seller with a real ad.
Caution: It’s a scam, and don’t give your phone number or any code that you receive on your phone to the fraudster.
See Also: How to Contact Facebook Marketplace Support for Help
Is it safe to provide phone number on facebook marketplace?
Sharing your phone number on Facebook Marketplace isn’t safe. It’s a new method for online scammers to target people.
The Federal Trade Commission has issued a warning about a scam involving verification that specifically targets individuals selling items on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.
The FTC refers to it as the “Google Voice scam” and highlights the risk of someone exploiting your phone number to hide their identity and deceive others.
How Facebook Marketplace Scam Asking for phone verification work?
The process of this phone verification scam operates as follows:
The scam begins with the scammer sending you a message expressing interest in purchasing the item or product you have listed.
Subsequently, they will either request your personal phone number or provide their own and ask you to initiate contact through text messages.
Next, they might say they’re unsure about going forward because of hearing about fake online stuff. So, they want to check if you’re a real person.
To validate the authenticity of your listing, they’ll send you a six-digit Google Voice verification code.
“If your product/service is real, send me the code, then I’ll call,” one scammer texted.
How scammer benefits if you give your phone number
In reality, the scammer is creating a Google Voice number that is connected to your phone number.
Sending the verification code enables the scammer to finalize the account setup.
Afterward, the scammer can use that phone number to hide their identity.
Alternatively, if a scammer obtains your Google Voice verification code and other details, they can impersonate you and create new accounts in your name.
Caleb Barlow, a cyber-security consultant in Newburyport added:
“The [scammer is] now going to use that voice account to either make robocalls or purport a fraud to someone else, maybe a phishing scheme. What’s so unique about this is that you’re just one link in the chain of building this overall fraud.”
How to avoid scammers on Facebook Marketplace
Don’t share your personal phone number on Facebook Marketplace with anyone.
Keep your personal information private especially if you don’t know the person.
Avoid sparkling offers or people that offer you deals that sound too good to be true.
Never deal with them or perform any transaction with them.
In order to make sure that you have a safer online experience, many online marketplaces encourage you to NOT DEAL OUTSIDE the platform.
If someone asks you to perform a deal outside, it will be a red flag.
Understand the marketplace policies and stick to the rules.
Understand how the marketplaces work and always check for the authenticity of the buyer or seller that you are dealing with.
Should I give someone on Facebook Marketplace my phone number?
You really don’t need to give someone your phone number on the Facebook marketplace.
You can use messenger and conversate with the buyer/seller in order to complete the deal.
Why someone will ask you for phone number on Facebook Marketplace?
They deceive you by pretending to be interested, requesting your phone number to collect and misuse your personal information for harmful purposes, such as impersonating you and scamming others.
Why do people ask for Google Verification code on the Facebook marketplace?
Scammers look for people selling items online and message them as if they are interested buyers.
Then they ask about a Google Voice verification code sent to the seller.
They ask the seller to share the code in order to verify that they are a real seller.
But they are going to use that code to verify their Google Voice account in order to scam other people.
What if you fall a victim of phone number verification scam?
If you have unknowingly sent a verification code to the scammer and he has set up a Google voice number on your behalf, you can reclaim your number by following this process.
Final Words
Now that you know, hopefully, you will be safe and have a better experience using Facebook and other marketplaces online.
You can read more about this scam on Federal Commission blog.
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