This scam has been around for a few years now. Probably for about as long as Google has been sending out Google Voice verification codes. A Google Voice verification code is a temporary code sent by Google to confirm that you own or have access to the phone number you’re trying to link to your Google Voice account. It’s a security measure to ensure that only you can link and use the phone number for Google Voice services.
When setting up Google Voice or making changes to your account, Google may send this code via text or call to the phone number you’re trying to verify. You then enter that code into the Google Voice setup page to complete the process. This verification step is part of the setup for using Google Voice with your personal or business number.
Scammers will usually target people selling items on sites like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or anywhere someone might place a classified ad. The scammer contacts the seller, usually via text or email, and tells them that they are interested in buying the item that they are selling, or in cases of a lost pet, they may claim they found the lost pet. But in order to make the purchase, they tell the seller that they need to verify they are a legitimate seller and that it’s really them who is selling the item. So the seller agrees, not wanting to miss out on the sale, and the scammer begins the process of setting up a Google Voice account linked to the seller’s phone number. The scammer instructs the seller (or now victim) that when they receive a text verification code from Google, that they need to send them the code. Once the scammer has the verification code, they can link the victim’s phone number to their own Google Voice account. This allows them to make calls, send texts, and even use the victim’s phone number for fraudulent activities, without the victim’s knowledge. The scam is often used to hijack phone numbers for illegal activities like fraud, harassment, or even scams involving fake customer service calls.
The moral of the story is never share a verification code with anyone, especially in circumstances such as this. If you did happen to fall for this scam, you can try and contact Google or go here to get your number back.
