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Possible CL scam

lowplaces

lowplaces

Dec 20, 2015
4,008
1
8,577
Kentucky
#1
So I list a piece of gear on my local Craigslist and someone text me to ask me if it is available. I answer yes and tell the person I'm driving and he can just give me a call.

So he text me back and says he's going to send a verification code via text and requested me to send him the code back so he knows that the ad is legit.

The text with the code identifies as a Google Voice verification code and has a link.

No way I'm going to do that but was just wondering if anyone has ever heard of such.
 
#2
lowplaces said:
So I list a piece of gear on my local Craigslist and someone text me to ask me if it is available. I answer yes and tell the person I'm driving and he can just give me a call.

So he text me back and says he's going to send a verification code via text and requested me to send him the code back so he knows that the ad is legit.

The text with the code identifies as a Google Voice verification code and has a link.

No way I'm going to do that but was just wondering if anyone has ever heard of such.
Click to expand...

craigslist scam - google voice - Google Voice Community
 
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#5
I think you still should setup your own google voice account to take it back from him.


How to take your personal number back (connecting your personal number to your own Google account)

The gist of this procedure is connecting your phone number to a Google account of your own which would automatically take it out of the scammers’ control. Here, we will show you how you can do that so stay with us and read carefully the next lines if you have already been targeted and tricked by this type of anonymous virtual crooks.

  1. Visit this page Voice and select Get Google Voice if you don’t have a Google Voice account. If you already have a Google Voice account, skip to Step 4.
  2. When you are asked to provide a forwarding number, enter a phone number different from the one that the scammers “stole”. You can use any other phone number as long as you can receive calls on it – you can ask a friend or a relative to give you their phone and thus allow you to use their phone number so that you could complete this step. The number you use here can later be removed from your Google Voice account.
  3. Once you provide a forwarding phone number, Google will give you a six-digit code that you are supposed to enter when you receive a call on the forwarding number. This time, you should enter the code to verify the registration.
  4. Now, from your Google Voice account, click on the blue plus (+) button to add a second forwarding number. Now, add the number the scammers “stole”. You will likely receive a warning that this number is currently used by another account – agree to change the account for that number. If you don’t get such a warning, this means that the scammers are no longer using your number and there’s no need to do anything. Once again, a six-digit code will be given to you by Google and you will need to enter it when you receive the call.
 
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#7
48thStreetCustom said:
I think you still should setup your own google voice account to take it back from him.


How to take your personal number back (connecting your personal number to your own Google account)

The gist of this procedure is connecting your phone number to a Google account of your own which would automatically take it out of the scammers’ control. Here, we will show you how you can do that so stay with us and read carefully the next lines if you have already been targeted and tricked by this type of anonymous virtual crooks.

  1. Visit this page Voice and select Get Google Voice if you don’t have a Google Voice account. If you already have a Google Voice account, skip to Step 4.
  2. When you are asked to provide a forwarding number, enter a phone number different from the one that the scammers “stole”. You can use any other phone number as long as you can receive calls on it – you can ask a friend or a relative to give you their phone and thus allow you to use their phone number so that you could complete this step. The number you use here can later be removed from your Google Voice account.
  3. Once you provide a forwarding phone number, Google will give you a six-digit code that you are supposed to enter when you receive a call on the forwarding number. This time, you should enter the code to verify the registration.
  4. Now, from your Google Voice account, click on the blue plus (+) button to add a second forwarding number. Now, add the number the scammers “stole”. You will likely receive a warning that this number is currently used by another account – agree to change the account for that number. If you don’t get such a warning, this means that the scammers are no longer using your number and there’s no need to do anything. Once again, a six-digit code will be given to you by Google and you will need to enter it when you receive the call.
Click to expand...
Okay thanks again for taking time to give me that info. I'm at work right now but as soon as my boss leaves I'll get on it.
 
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#11
lowplaces said:
So they can be contacted and make the sale ?

Lol

I suppose I could get a new email address just to use as a one-time thing for the sale, but they still wind up with your number unless you're stupid enough to email them your home address and risk them casing your house out.
Click to expand...

The admittedly few times I’ve used CL to sell something, CL offers to use a blind email address for buyers to contact me. I don’t have to publish either my real email address or a phone number in my listing. If a prospective buyer contacts me thru CL I can reply and my email address remains hidden. I don’t think I’ve ever given a CL buyer my real email or phone number. That’s not happening unless/until I’m very sure a buyer is legit.
 
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#12
I love it when I get those kind of text messages, I always send back a fictitious number that I make up. Keeps them going for a while enough to be really annoying.

The other scam to look out for is someone replying through one of the apps, like offer up or let go, and asking you to email them back or other family member at some email address instead of replying through the app. That is always a scam.
 
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#13
One I've seen running lately is just absurdly lowballed items (with pictures that are _clearly_ not from the currently snowy area they claim to be from) looking for an email reply. I just flag them and move on, without even getting into what the point of the scam might be. Part of the reason I'm quite sure they are scams is seeing the same lowballed item in a sunny/grassy picture "located" in two wildly different snowy grotty locations that happen to be in my search radius.
 
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#14
T_Bone_TL said:
One I've seen running lately is just absurdly lowballed items (with pictures that are _clearly_ not from the currently snowy area they claim to be from) looking for an email reply. I just flag them and move on, without even getting into what the point of the scam might be. Part of the reason I'm quite sure they are scams is seeing the same lowballed item in a sunny/grassy picture "located" in two wildly different snowy grotty locations that happen to be in my search radius.
Click to expand...
As Old Dog pointed out, CL provides an anonymized e-mail method that makes it safe to contact sellers of any kind. It’s what you do next that matters. I never share real phone numbers or addresses with buyers or sellers unless I’ve established their identity through the CL e-mail track.
 
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#15
Had a few more similar texts so I took my number off the ad and used the email relay feature.

Got two silly emails. Here is one of them.
"I've seen your ad. are you the first owner and is it your final price ? I don't check the email for Craig's List , So text me at ××××@gmail.com"

Both questions we're plainly answered in the ad. And how do you text someone using an email address ? Lol

Guess I'll just edit the ad stating to include a phone number in the email reply if they are interested in the item so I can contact them.

If they don't include their number I'll just delete the email. I've had a few scammers in the past trying the " I'll send you the money and have someone pick it up " thing, but never this many on one ad.

Just got another scam email as I'm posting lol
 
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#16
For Craigslist ads , I put in my landline phone number. It is a non pub number and is not in any way connected to my computer or internet.If you can't handle a simple phone call , I am not interested in doing business with you. I end my ads with "Phone calls ONLY. If you are too stupid to follow this simple instruction , the item I am selling figures you are too stupid to own it."
 
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#17
lowplaces said:
Had a few more similar texts so I took my number off the ad and used the email relay feature.

Got two silly emails. Here is one of them.
"I've seen your ad. are you the first owner and is it your final price ? I don't check the email for Craig's List , So text me at ××××@gmail.com"

Both questions we're plainly answered in the ad. And how do you text someone using an email address ? Lol

Guess I'll just edit the ad stating to include a phone number in the email reply if they are interested in the item so I can contact them.

If they don't include their number I'll just delete the email. I've had a few scammers in the past trying the " I'll send you the money and have someone pick it up " thing, but never this many on one ad.

Just got another scam email as I'm posting lol
Click to expand...
Coincidentally, I had both of these responses this weekend to two ads I'd placed Saturday morning. I'd gotten the second one before with other ads I've placed, but the first one was new to me and I responded.

I've bought and sold close to 75-80 items on CL over the years with few problems. But there's always some new scam popping up quite frequently. Always gotta be somebody trying to steal something from somebody. :rollno:
 
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