It’s the digital age, and personal information and data are worth more than cash in many scenarios. And there are a lot of scammers out there constantly trying to get hold of yours. Today, we’ll be looking at one such method, the Google Voice scam, and how bad actors try to gain access to your service to further scam others.
What Does the Google Voice Scam Entail?
Google Voice is a free VoIP that’s linked to your Google account and can be used to connect with others over the internet, be it a video or audio call. It acts as a separate service from your real phone number, allowing for a degree of separation, but it still requires you to link your phone number to use it. Only one number is allowed to be connected to one Google Voice account.
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This requires a verification code, and it’s this that scammers want access to set up a Google Voice account. Once they have it, they can impersonate you, scam others, or sell the account on to those who will.
How Is the Scam Executed?
As with most phishing attempts, the Google Voice spoofing scam can come in various guises, but always unsolicited. This scam primarily occurs on channels where you’ve listed your number, such as job boards, marketplaces, and community chat groups.
The scammer will create a Google Voice account, based on the numbers they can obtain, and then message the victims. If you’re on a job board, you may find a potential employer asking you to send verification in the form of a 6-digit code “to prove you’re not a bot.” Or a prospective buyer of that second-hand couch you’ve got listed on a community forum may also ask for the same. The scammer might even claim to be from Google.
This code is the final piece of the two-factor authentication puzzle to establish the account.
The insidious part of this scam is the time it takes for the damage to sink in. You may give the code, and find that the sender of the message has ghosted you. Or you go about your business only to find that your number has been involved in some major fraudulent activity. Others could be phished using your contact details, friends and family could be asked for money, thinking it’s you, or other bad things.
Guarding Against the Google Voice Scam
Vigilance is the key to any activity online, along with a healthy dose of skepticism. With these scams, there are a few pointers:
- Beware urgency – The biggest indicator of any scam is the sense of urgency the scammer puts out. For instance, you might be contacted by a customer who won’t buy unless you provide the code. Or you’re contacted about a job offer that is only available for a limited time.
- Check your Google account – Your Google account contains a list of linked numbers and devices. If you suspect yourself of having been spoofed, check your account to confirm if your number is there. If you have been spoofed, visit Google Voice to reclaim your number and change all passwords.
- Consider the sender – Google will never ask for confirmation codes on their official sites and apps. It might be harder to do so on social media, but look at the sender and their account history. Are they in your area? Do they have too many spelling and grammatical errors in their message? Are they asking you to take the conversation to another app?
- Don’t post your number – This might not always be a possibility, but wherever you can, try to avoid posting your number online, especially on online marketplaces.
- Set up 2FA with your app – Rather than relying on text messages for authentication, download and use Google directly. Authenticating anything directly on the app will eliminate the need to rely on messages, fraudulent or otherwise.
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When my sweet old grandmother got caught up in an Amazon gift card scam, I decided then and there that I needed to do whatever I could to inform as many people as possible about the grifters of the world. That’s what I do here – writing about modern scams so you don’t get caught out.
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