The latest scam circulating on the social media platform in Sublette County goes like this: A con artist posing as a buyer sends the original poster a private message asking the seller to provide their phone number as proof that they are a real person.
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SUBLETTE COUNTY — Folks hoping to make an extra buck or two off their spring cleaning efforts by selling items on the public Facebook Marketplace should be on the lookout for scammers pretending to be interested in their wares. The latest scam circulating on the social media platform in Sublette County goes like this: A con artist posing as a buyer sends the original poster a private message asking the seller to provide their phone number as proof that they are a real person. Once the seller has given out their number, the scammer uses it to open a Google Voice account, sends the seller a verification code from Google and asks them for the code to verify their legitimacy. If the seller provides the scammer with that code, they’ve unknowingly granted the scammer an untraceable phone number that can then be used to con other people without being tracked.
The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office is reminding the public that if it sounds too good to be true, or fishy, it likely is. Never share your personal or private information with strangers on the Internet.
Just say ‘no’
How you respond to two simple yes or no questions when the phone rings with a scammer on the other end of the line could be the difference between having your personal accounts hacked and keeping your finances secure. The latest scam circulating both locally and around the United States, according to the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), begins with the caller asking, “Can you hear me?” Then, the caller tries to confirm, “Is this (insert name)?” Next, the caller hangs up and the damage begins to unfold.
Scammers use a recording of the affirmative responses in attempts to authorize unwanted charges on the victim’s personal accounts.