The victim of a Facebook Marketplace scam has taken to TikTok to warn people not to make the same mistake she did — and now her warning is going viral.
Michel Janse (@michel.c.janse) gained over 1.1 million views, 52,000 likes, 3,600 saves and 1,700 comments after she uploaded the PSA to her account.
According to Janse, her interaction with the would-be Marketplace buyer started off normally. After receiving a message from a woman interested in buying her furniture, Janse looked over the woman’s profile (as a general “vibe check”), then messaged her to coordinate the purchase.
That’s when the exchange took a suspicious turn.
“For my safety, I just want to confirm that you’re a real person,” the buyer allegedly wrote to Janse. “Are you ok if I voice call you from Google?”
According to the Federal Trade Commission, if you give a scammer your phone number and then relay the code from Google Voice, the scammer is able to create a Google Voice number linked to your phone number. The scammer will then use your number to rip off other people and conceal their identity.
However, sometimes these scammers are after more than just your phone number or a Google Voice code. “If they get enough of your information, they could pretend to be you to access your accounts or open new accounts in your name,” the FTC says.
Read More Here: ‘Don’t fall for this scam like me’: Woman’s Facebook Marketplace PSA goes viral on TikTok
