The convenience of the internet has allowed us to reach networks we would otherwise never reach—but that also means we’re exposing ourselves to those with ill intentions. In particular, when you put your email or phone number on online market sites, you’re becoming a target for scammers.
Late this summer, I put my 10-year-old Corolla up for sale to take advantage of the hot market for used cars. I made posts on Facebook marketplace, OfferUp, Craiglist, and other online sites. Almost immediately, I was bombarded with offers for my car. The only problem was the majority of them were scammers trying to steal my identity.
If you haven’t tried to sell something over the internet recently, you might be caught off-guard with the sheer volume and new tactics that scammers are using today to steal your identity. Here are some of the ones I encountered.
The “I’m not fake, you’re fake” technique
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Scammers will try to “verify” that you are real by convincing you that the only way to do that is for you to send them a number code that…
