New scam tries to use your phone number to fleece others. This article will show you how unscrupulous actors are using the Google Not a Bot Verification tool to scam people.

The aim is to trick the victim into divulging their phone number and then a Google Voice verification code.

A Google Voice verification code scam usually works as follows:

A criminal links a phone app to his Gmail account.

They find a potential victim on a sellers marketplace. The explanation is given that they have got burnt in the past so now have to ask the seller to accept and text back a code to prove they are a real person.

When the victim texts the code back, the scammer can link the Google Voice number to the victim’s authenticated phone.

The scammer uses the Google Voice number in fraudulent ads on marketplace websites or other criminal activity.

In other words, first the scammer is a fake buyer, then once they trick victims into authenticating Google Voice accounts, the scammer becomes a fake seller — potentially ensnaring a second generation of victims who pay for goods they never receive.

This scam is potent because it doesn’t have the typical hallmarks to send up red flags due to the fact that there does not appear to be any phishing for personal data or account numbers, and there is no clear path to identity theft or access to bank accounts.

Here is the reason that this is dangerous.

In two words Google Voice!

Google Voice lets users merge multiple phone numbers into one. There are plenty of legitimate uses for a Google Voice number.

People can give it to business and personal contacts instead of having to juggle multiple phone numbers.

Individuals can keep their cell phone numbers private, and businesses can find an available number with the last four digits that they want.

But scammers want a steady supply of new Google Voice numbers to use in criminal activity.

Victim complaints and investigations will initially point to the original victim’s authenticated phone number.

It takes further investigation to find the Gmail account established by the criminal.

It’s not a new scam, but it’s getting attention lately.

The Google Voice authentication scam isn’t new, says Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center.

But it accounted for nearly half (49%) of the calls the center got in August, more than nine times the volume received in July.

As of early October, the pace has not slowed, and there have been more than 2,000 calls to the ITRC about it since midsummer.

Commerce sites like eBay, Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist aren’t the only ones where criminals fish for verification codes.

It’s been done on dating sites and even in response to notices about lost pets. The common thread: Someone wants you to prove you are a real person by receiving and sending back a code.

According to the volume of complaints, criminals have a new cache of Google Voice numbers, and some of those numbers are likely to appear in online ads in the coming weeks. Caution is advised.

How to keep safe

If you’re a seller, check whether the platform you’re on has a feature to verify its users, advises Amy Nofziger, director of victim support for the AARP Fraud Watch Network.

If a would-be customer asks to verify your identity, insist they use that feature.

If the seller insists on moving off the selling platform to texting or calls, that’s a danger sign.

Do not accept and text back a code.

“It says right on it, do not share this code with anyone,” Velasquez says. “We really want to hit that home for people.

These are codes that you get to verify yourself. These are a second layer of authentication, and they’re only for you.

if someone asks you to share it with them, that should be a big red flag!

Buyers should also proceed with caution, A listing could be using a purloined Google Voice number.

Verify as much information as possible about the seller.

If the selling platform has a verification feature, use it.

Don’t deal with anyone who wants payment in gift cards that’s a sure sign of a scam.

Use a credit card if possible; they have protections that peer-to-peer payments and debit cards do not.

Meet in a safe place to exchange payment and merchandise.

People who lose money to fraudsters using Google Voice numbers are unlikely to know that their theft was put in motion when someone was tricked into revealing a verification code. “I really think that there are more victims (of the scam) than are even aware they are victims,” Rissman says.