Greg's Corner

Scammers and spammers plague online marketplace

By Greg Collier

If you like to sell items online to declutter your home, you may pick the online marketplace that is most convenient to you. Possibly, one that is already integrated into your favorite social network. Unfortunately, that convenience and prevalence often lead to many scams and frauds. In some instances, you’ll get more responses from scammers than actual buyers on a certain marketplace platform. However, one man has discovered an almost universal sign that a potential online buyer is trying to scam you.

According to a local news report from the Cleveland, Ohio area, scammers have increased their activity on that area’s Facebook Marketplace. The one scam that is being reported the most is the Google Voice Scam. In this scam, scammers will pose as online buyers interested in whatever you’re selling online. They’ll say they want to send the seller a verification code to make sure the seller is who they say they are. What’s really happening is the scammers are setting up a Google Voice account connected to your phone number. The scammers will then use the stolen Google Voice number to scam other victims.

One proficient online seller from the area has noticed something about the scammers. When the scammers message him, they don’t ask any questions about the item being sold. Instead, the scammers will ask if the item is still for sale and if it is, they’ll ask the seller for their phone number. Again, this is to sign up for a Google Voice number using the seller’s phone number.

If you’re using a platform that has a built-in messaging system, be suspicious of anyone who wants to communicate with you off-platform. If a prospective buyer sends you a code for any kind of verification, do not give it to them. They’re either trying to get a Google Voice number out of you or are trying to access some other online account of yours.