# Scam I Don't Know. Your Thoughts? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 16, 2023, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-i-dont-know-your-thoughts/990217 "2023-09-16T23:06:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2023, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-i-dont-know-your-thoughts/990217/1 "2023-09-16T23:06:45Z")
Trying to sell something on Facebook Marketplace. Within seconds of posting, a couple of people responded asking the usual “is this still available?” Upon replying that it was, they immediately requested cell phone numbers. Suspecting that this would just be a way to inundate me with useless stuff, I sent back a landline number and informed them that it was such. One person dropped off immediately and the other requested a cell phone number multiple times before doing the same. Is this a new scam? If so, what are they trying to accomplish? Or am I just paranoid? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2023, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-i-dont-know-your-thoughts/990217/2 "2023-09-16T23:15:48Z")
Could be a scam. From [a quick google search:](https://www.comparitech.com/identity-theft-protection/top-facebook-marketplace-scams/#:~:text=2FA%20scams&text=Next%2C%20the%20scammer%20uses%20the,account%20in%20the%20victim's%20name.) > In this scam, the fraudster approaches sellers on Facebook Marketplace and pretends to be interested in items for sale. They ask for the seller’s phone number to discuss the purchase further. > > Next, the scammer uses the victim’s phone number to create a Google Voice account. To verify this, the scammer requires the 2FA code that the victim receives. > > The scammer then tricks the victim into passing the scammer the code, which allows the scammer to set up a Google Voice account in the victim’s name. The scammer will then use that clean number to engage in other scams. > > If anybody asks you for your phone number and a 2FA code, it is highly likely that you’re being scammed. [Never provide a 2FA code to any other party](https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/what-is-two-factor-authentication/). Those codes are security codes meant only for you, and giving them away is always cause for alarm. ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-i-dont-know-your-thoughts/990217/3 "2023-09-17T00:23:25Z")
Thank you. I won’t enumerate my vague reasons why I didn’t do that search but suffice it to say I appreciate you doing it. Actually, it was my lovely wife who ran into the request and I told her not to play along while I posted here. Fortunately, she is as paranoid as I and neither of us take the warning on the 2FA (and I quote: “Do not share this code with ANYONE.”) for granted. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-i-dont-know-your-thoughts/990217/4 "2023-09-17T15:08:30Z")
Just remember, in the immortal words of Jim Ignatowski, “If everyone is out to get you, being paranoid is just good thinking.” ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-i-dont-know-your-thoughts/990217/5 "2023-09-17T16:25:58Z")
Hey, when I see football players go into a huddle I think they’re plotting against me. ☺ (I don’t remember from whom I stole that.) ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-i-dont-know-your-thoughts/990217/6 "2023-09-17T16:29:21Z")
> [@Lare](#): > > Hey, when I see football players go into a huddle I think they’re plotting against me I mean - if you’re on the other team, they are. ---
**Author:** ![bobsmom101](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobsmom101/32/2867_2.png) [@bobsmom101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobsmom101)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-i-dont-know-your-thoughts/990217/7 "2023-09-17T18:59:32Z")
I put up a new ad this a.m. and got 3 replies immediately who wanted to communicate only via my cell number. This is surely all the rage in scamming right now. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-i-dont-know-your-thoughts/990217/8 "2023-09-17T19:24:54Z")
I don’t think it’s quite an absolute rule that you should never disclose a 2FA code. As an example, I have needed to reinstall a secure banking app on a new phone. I forgot that I needed to use the old phone to generate a code to authorize the new phone, and I had already disposed of the old phone. I called the support line, and part of the verification process involved them sending 2FA codes by text and email that I had to read back to them. Of course, I had called _them_ to initiate this process. However, I think it’s an absolute rule that you should never disclose a 2FA code to any third party, or of course to anyone that calls _you_. ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-i-dont-know-your-thoughts/990217/9 "2023-09-18T00:00:09Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > I don’t think it’s quite an absolute rule that you should never disclose a 2FA code… I agree. My bank gives me a courtesy call about once a year. (“We see you still have some money left over at the end of the year. Don’t you think you should have a bigger loan?”) We set up the call with email and then I call them on the agreed-upon date and they send me a text with a code that tells me not to give it to anyone. Then they ask me for it. I’ve pointed out the absurdity of this multiple times and my banker/agent/whatever always agrees but I still haven’t seen it changed. I’m only ok with giving it to him because–even though they initiated the original contact via email, the number I call is the Customer Service number on the back of my debit card and it also matches the number on my monthly statement. Still…