Is this a scam? I'm remembering why I chose NOT to join Falsebook for decades.

[Rez Exelon]

I've had 3 FB sales this week.
I Always check join date. If it is the current year date I typically don't reply, unless they already have feedback and some type of interaction history, items for sale and a recent FB postings that arent just bs traffic.
I don't trade numbers or addresses.
I use messenger.
I meet in a business parking lot that has good cameras or I tellem to meet at the local PD if I am suspect of their shenanigans

I sell frequently on Marketplace. I don't care if they have my number --- it's a google one that they get anyways. I very rarely have scammers attempt to chat anyways.

I would say it's not entirely crazy (on it's own merits) that there was a redirect to a husband. Sometimes my wife lists things and I get "meetup with the random person at QuikTrip" duty after all. If she lists something of mine for sale especially.

That said, if a deal is too good to be true, like a $40 blackstone griddle, then it probably is indeed too good to be true.

 

[psimp]

They can do damage with just your phone number. I don't answer numbers I don't know. If it's important they can leave a voicemail. They rarely do. They call me 4 or 5 times a day but never leave a msg...yeah must be really important. I also get a lot of bait texts trying to just get me to text back, they can hurt you there too. They text "you don't remember me do you?" but they never say who they are, they just want a text back from you to initiate a hack. You'd be shocked to see how many people have your private info. Email address, phone, physical address, last 4 ss #s, mother's maiden name. It's out there, on almost every one of us. Although identity theft is rampant, I'm surprised it's not way worse.

It kind started recently to me.(texts asking “hi, remember me crap” In the last month I have received several texts saying ”hey, how are you, haven’t heard from you recently”….etc… just DELETE. My wife doesn’t seem to comprehend, but has listened and doesn’t click on “strange/requested” texts, links, etc.. I retired from Enterprise IT over 10 years ago, AND it was amazing what the hackers could do back then = don’t even want to think of the crap they could do to you/us NOW, people would be blown away. As stated previously, if important they will leave a voice mail or add who they are in txt.
P.S. to go with thread - I wouldn’t have an issue “EXCHANGING NUMBERS” -

 

[Oklahomabassin]

 

[GorillaG]

Had this same thing happen, I was looking for a new apartment recently and saw what I thought was a fair price so I inquired about it, here is the dead giveaway though... "Kindly". Seems like a common thing for Indian scammers to ask you to "Kindly" do things. I'm not "kindly" giving you my phone number so that "the Landlord can kindly contact you about your inquiry." Then I checked the other listings and sure enough dude had listings from here to Florida and beyond.

yeah fb is ruined on many levels, last time I ran an ad within literally 5 minutes had like 30 or 40 requests for my phone number

 

[KOPBET]

I got a Google Voice phone number. Its disposable. Any person/place that I don't want to give my real number gets this one.

 

[alucard]

This just popped up and looks more legit. Not $40 however.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1130864081540955/

 

[Profreedomokie]

I've had good luck buying off Facebook. I've got a bunch of stuff I'm going to start selling on there in a few weeks.

 

[Dorkus]

So explain to me what the scammer is trying to accomplish. They post something cheap and insist on a phone number. How does this give the seller and opportunity to scam you?

Trying to figure this out to protect my elderly parents.

 

[mouthpiece]

So explain to me what the scammer is trying to accomplish. They post something cheap and insist on a phone number. How does this give the seller and opportunity to scam you?

Trying to figure this out to protect my elderly parents.

Apparently this allows the to get Information on you from just getting your phone number that leads to personal information like accounts and pin numbers...

 

[OKRuss]

So explain to me what the scammer is trying to accomplish. They post something cheap and insist on a phone number. How does this give the seller and opportunity to scam you?

Trying to figure this out to protect my elderly parents.

I think they get the phone number then sell to a marketing firm or 'real' scammers. Not 100% sure but if someone can get your phone number along with a partial recording of your voice I believe AI can use that voice pattern to alter someone else(bad guy) to sound just like the one they recorded. Then, spoof your actual phone number to the one you got and call the elderly parents.

What I've told my Mom is for her and the grandkids to have a code word. Anything. A nickname only they'd know. If get a suspicious call, just ask for the code word. Removes the 'emotional' part from their scam.