Deputy Lola has an Important Announcement about Online Scams

April 2022

This month, Deputy Lola is working with Cyber Chip Dog to inform you about a scam that can affect all of your online accounts. Keep reading to learn about a pressing Facebook scam and how you can avoid it! 

Recently a Facebook Marketplace scam first seen in 2021 as reported by the Better Business Bureau,  reared its ugly head again.  Here is how the scam works.  Sellers on Facebook Marketplace are contacted within minutes of posting an item for sale, by eager buyers with messages them asking for their phone number. Ironically, the cyber attacker claims that they need your phone number to assure themselves that YOU are not a scammer.  

The scammer asks for your phone number, so they can text you a verification code. They instruct you to reply with the 6-digit code on the platform where your item is listed or to a prompt from Google. The scammer will then set up a Google Voice number linked to your phone number and if you send the verification code, can complete the account setup. At that point, the scammer can use that phone number to conceal their identity and access other accounts linked to your phone number or even steal your identity and open new accounts in your name.  

If this happens to you, IMMEDIATELY change your passwords to all internet accounts attached to your phone number.  

The Better Business Bureau has a few tips for dealing with this scam: 

• Be cautious giving your phone number to someone you don’t know. 
• Contact Google support if there’s suspicious activity on your account. 
• Use the BBB ScamTracker to make a report. 

 

For more information and security services that Right Click Solutions offers, don’t hesitate to call us at (914) 242-3212 or email us at team@rcsllc.net 

 

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