Last spring I finally cleaned out the garage and listed my old riding lawnmower on Facebook Marketplace for $400. Within an hour, a buyer named "Kevin" messaged me. Very polite. He asked about the blades, the hours on the engine, and whether I'd take $375. Sounded like a real buyer to me.
Then he wrote, "There are so many scammers on here. Before I drive out, I'm going to send a code to your phone so I know you're a real person. Just send me the code back." Two seconds later, my phone buzzed with a six-digit code from Google.
Well, folks, I almost sent it. Cindy was looking over my shoulder and said, "Bob, why would a lawnmower buyer need a code from Google?" Good question. It turned out he didn't.
Why would a buyer ask me for a code?
This is a well-known trick. The FTC explains how the Google Voice verification code scam works: the "buyer" uses your phone number to set up a Google Voice account, and the code Google texts you is the last step. If you send it, the scammer now has a phone number tied to your name that they can use to scam other people.
The code has nothing to do with your lawnmower. It's the scammer's account setup, and you'd be finishing it for him.
What should I do if a buyer asks for a code?
In plain words: don't send the code, no matter how polite or reasonable the buyer sounds. Stop replying and block the buyer. You don't owe them an explanation. Then report the account using the app's report button so they can't try it on your neighbor.
What other tricks do fake buyers use?
Put simply, watch for four tricks: asking for a code to "prove you're real," sending a screenshot of a payment instead of actual money, "accidentally" overpaying and asking you to send back the extra, and asking you to click a link or move to a different app to get paid. Any one of them means the buyer isn't really a buyer.
How do I sell safely on Facebook Marketplace?
Keep it simple. Talk only inside the Marketplace app. Take cash in person, or confirm that money actually landed in your own bank or payment account before the buyer drives away with the item. Don't trust a screenshot or an email that says "payment sent." Meet in a public place, like the parking lot of your local police station, which many towns set up just for this.
And if the conversation starts to feel confusing, pause the sale. That lawnmower will still be there tomorrow.
What if I already sent the code?
You can take your number back. Google's help pages explain how to reclaim a number that someone linked to a Google Voice account without permission. Then change your Google account password if you have one, and watch for strange texts or calls from people who've been scammed "by you." Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
This is a close cousin of the fake bank call where someone asks you to read back a code. Our guide on what to do when a caller wants your verification code covers it, and the rule is the same: codes are yours.
Who ended up buying my lawnmower
Three days later, a fellow from two streets over messaged me. He asked about the blades, came by on Saturday morning, kicked the tires, and paid me $375 in cash. He never once mentioned a code. We had coffee on the porch, and he's since borrowed my hedge trimmer twice.
A real buyer wants the item, folks. A fake buyer wants your phone.
Have you sold something online and gotten a strange request? Tell us in the comments what happened.
