PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — This week, the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment focuses on building a digital defense against Google Voice authentication scams.
What is Google Voice? It’s a service – brought to you by Google, of course – that allows you to set up a new virtual phone number that can be used to make domestic and international calls or send and receive text messages.
You don’t even have to have a Google Voice account to get scammed in this particular scheme. Here’s how it works:
You post your real phone number on some online platform. It’s common for scammers to target victims who use popular marketplace apps or websites to post items for sale. Want to get rid of that old couch? Post it on one of those popular re-sale sites, and hope someone likes your taste in style.
Recently, we have also been getting reports of people who are getting targeted in other locations, including sites where you post about lost pets.
The scammer contacts you via text or email. He is really interested in buying that couch or thinks he found Fluffy. He says he just needs to make sure you are legitimate so he doesn’t get scammed. He says he will send you an authentication code from Google to confirm that you are a real person and not a bot.
You will receive that authentication code in the form of a voice call or a text message. He asks you to repeat that number to him.
What he is really doing is setting up a Google Voice account in your name…
