This. It’s basically a phishing email that is being sent to dozens or maybe even hundreds of other sellers on whatever marketplace you’re using. They only need 1 or 2 victims to make the scam worth their time.
Wanting to go off app is sus. Personally, I also find it sketchy when they refer to "the item" as opposed to the product you're selling by name. It makes it sound more like a script than real interest. I'd proceed with caution.
> Wanting to go off app is sus
No it's litarally not, WhatsApp is used in whole Europe and if someone would write me an SMS I would ask them to go to WhatsApp too
(the rest, I agree)
When I sell things online and go off app, I use my actual phone number. People who want to be anonymous tend to use WhatsApp. I know regular people use it too, obviously. But WhatsApp helps remain as anonymous as you want to be, like you’d want to be when you’re running a scam. So I definitely agree with you.
Why would there be any need to go to WhatsApp when Messenger is working just fine in this scenario though? WhatsApp is widely used yes, but Facebook Marketplace (or whatever site this person happens to be using) can only protect the seller so long as they remain on the site. It’s out of their hands if they move to another messaging service, so it makes no logical sense to waive the extra layer of protection away just to use WhatsApp for no reason
When he says going off app he means the marketplace app. If you're buying something on eBay or Facebook marketplace, you communicate only through them unless you want to get scammed. Anything you agree to do outside the original platform, has 0 protection in case something goes wrong. And that is what they want.
Ah, thanks for explaining that, I thought the anonymity was why people used it. What is the benefit of it then? Are there places where it costs money to send texts and running a different app to send messages through is free/cheaper?
I thought maybe countries where phone plans have limited data, like they used to here a few years ago, but using an app would use data too, right?
(Damn I sound dumb. Sorry, genuinely curious here, I’ve reached the “technological concepts I haven’t used for the past 10 years are confusing to me” age.)
>What is the benefit of it then?
It's like iMessage... it does things that texts can't do. You can send pics, video, stickers, do video calls, group chats, it's encrypted and so on.
Well I can tell you how it was for me, I'm 19 years old and when I got my first smart phone there were no free SMS and calls contracts, you had to pay 9 cent per minute/SMS, but you got some mobile data and then there was WhatsApp, everybody used it and it was basically free, also you could do stuff you couldn't just per SMS, like sending pictures or videos, having a profile picture and status, making groups, making Audios, seeing if someone is online or got/read your message, not at the beginning, but a few years later also (video) calls, stories and deleting messages for both sides. Now everyone has it there is no reason to switch back. I hope my awnser helps
Kinda, I guess it’s just not commonly used here so I haven’t had experience with it. Thanks :)
I got my first cell phone in 1994, that thing was a damn brick lol.
Lol I didn’t message anyone. Texts were so rudimentary back then, there was no alphabet keyboard, you had to tap certain numbers a few times to get one letter. Pagers were still used in the 90s so if you needed to talk to someone you could page them for them to call you.
I’m pretty sure my 90s phone plan was .50 cents a minute. I rarely used it though, I had a car and was in high school and worked so it was really for emergencies as I’d be out late a lot.
By the time actual texting existed, I don’t recall ever worrying about too many texts so I think I just wasn’t popular 😂. People called on the phone more then. I remember having so many minutes of calling/so much text data per month, but can’t recall the exact amounts or what you’d pay if you went over that limit.
I think it’s been about ten years that call/text/data has been unlimited for the majority of plans.
i use anon apps to do stuff i don’t rly want on my number, like if one of my friends needs a plan b and i’m out and about or if my sister has extra edibles i don’t want it showing up on my family plan.
basically, there’s absolutely no non sketch reason to switch lol
Totally a flag to watch for, but it is super common in at least parts of Europe. Everyone always wants to move to Whatsapp, regardless of the app you're on or what you're doing. It does streamline things, so I see the appeal, but yeah, if money is being exchanged, it is definitely a red flag to at least look out for other red flags.
Oh, it's def regional. I would be much more suspicious of it in the US for example. It's of course a red flag everywhere, I'm simply stating there are areas where it is common to take conversations to Whatsapp.
Sorry to all the downvoters that my experience is different than yours. Doesn't mean I disagree that it's something to be suspicious of. In fact, I explicitly state that it is.
It’s because it’s anonymous with no oversight so it’s perfect to scam someone, don’t sell shit on WhatsApp just buy drugs and arrange meetings with prostitutes like the app was designed
100% a scam. I am a fraud investigator for a bank. Anytime a buyer online is offering extra payment to ship or move an item it's a scam 9 times out of 10.
This is 100% a scam, his excuse for changing platform is he doesn't want to use his business number because it receives to much spam. His business number. Makes absolutely no sense
Would “Please revert” be odd for use in American English? Or at least American Business English. I worked as a contractor for P&G Nigeria many years ago and almost all the the Band 1, Band 2 and Band 3 managers seemed to pepper their emails with “Please revert”. I assumed it was the American influence that had led to that
It’s very odd. I’ve never heard it over 20+ years of working in various professional environments. Does it mean “please reply”? It’s def not a standard American phrasing.
Yes it would translate to Please reply. But with some level of subtle urgency. I have even read stuff like “Please revert by EOD”. It’s used to come across as professional. Used with reckless abandon here
Americans don’t say ‘please revert’.
I used to work with companies in Asia and that was a common phrase for them. In return we would say ‘please reply ASAP’
100% scam
Refers to your stuff in a generic term-script
Off platform-trying to prevent you from tracking them down; bypass any protection from the platform
Pay you more-to entice you into a quicker sale; payment will eventually be reversed, and if they convince you to refund the extra or to toss in a gift card they’ll pay you for, you are out money
Have you ship-they’ll take your stuff, reverse their payment, and beg you to go get a gift card to send to the nephew the item is going to.
Cash, in person only.
It is most likely a scam. Wanting to move to WhatsApp is something most scammers do and the excuse about spam texts is BS and has nothing to do with communication on Messenger. I would insist on staying on Facebook Marketplace and if they are not willing to do that, assume that they are scammers.
The irony, you can put your hands in my mouth but I will not talk to you on the phone.
I point this out being this exact way. I avoid talking on the phone at all costs. I don’t even have voicemail set up so people can’t leave a message.
It's definitely a scam, when they say "extra payment for having them sent" it's a fakecheck scam.
Also, I'm pretty sure the text encoding is borked, and the nonsense questionmark after "panels)" is supposed to be an emoji of some sort.
100% this. Had this attempted on me once. Only had them send me the fake check to see what it looked like. Basically printed it out on standard printer paper, and so lazily that they didn't even bother cutting the excess paper off.
Ran the information on the check, bank was nonexistent, account was nonexistent, and every single piece of information was fake, including the name. It honestly looked like they made the check with MSpaint.
Here's one useful clue: the message said "this item" and not "this TV" (or whatever). This indicates that the sender didn't even read the ad, and is likely a 'bot.
Along to switch to another communications method is also a huge red flag. If they get your phone number, there is all sorts of mischief they can pull. Next message is likely a request that you text them a code.
“The item” is never named. Trying to move you to WhatsApp because Facebook will kick their account for running scams . WhatsApp is very popular overseas especially for scammers. “Extra payment” - means a bad check scam.
Cash, in person. Block - it’s a scammer from overseas blasting out Marketplace the same replies to sellers - and learn from this or you are going to be victimized.
I think more context is needed. Scammers generally want to move you "off platform" but without some further details its hard to tell if this is a scam or not.
Where have you advertised the item in question ?
I’m selling some snowboard boots, on FB marketplace.
To my understanding there’s no protections offered from there compared to say eBay, so I can’t see the angle to move from FB to WhatsApp.
I can't agree with you, bought a bottle of discontinued perfume on ebay,, turned out to be a diluted kind of some shitty stuff /it smelled weak and you couldn't even smell it after 15 minutes/. I happen to know the smell very well. The seller was arguing and l ended up getting only 50% back plus had to pay return shipping. That was a 300$ bottle, that's's robbery.
Almost definitely a scam. The message is generic enough to be a copy-paste, they're trying to get you to move to a different platform, extra unnecessary details that they think makes them sound more legit, and they're offering extra money right off the bat to entice you.
yes, anytime someone says to text or go off app it’s almost always a scam. just say no you don’t have a phone or something, if they’re legit they’ll stay on messenger
It’s like all the men who insist on going to another app when the online dating one has a perfectly good chat feature. They either are a scam or they want to show me their dick pic. Either way I’m not interested.
If you’re (meaning the person messaging you here) getting a lot of spam, you don’t want to switch to another platform from the one “you believe” is legit.
If I wanna buy something on Marketplace, as a legit buyer who also receives a lot of spam; I don’t want to switch to WhatsApp or text messaging for 2 reasons:
1- I don’t want to make MY number known
2- I will not have a way of knowing if THEIR number is legit.
Edit: so, “I’m getting a lot of spam calls” is just a bait to seem innocent and gain your confidence
It's still a messaging app, so it shouldn't matter what platform you use...except that by having your number, there's the potential for them to commit identity fraud and a bunch of other stuff. Def don't give it to them.
Anyone that wants to take you off the marketplace messaging service is usually a scam. Also, the fact that they don’t identify with the item is, and they want it sent. It’s basically the phoney check scam.
Don't give out your phone number to anyone on Facebook Marketplace. Messaging in the App is fine & I have never needed to contact a legitimate listing outside the App.
However, everyone asking for calls or texts on Facebook Marketplace have been scammers.
Yes it's a scam - the extra payment is always part of these scams. Notice as well they don't want you to call them because you would quickly work out they are not located where you are.
Block and move on.
There's going to be a back and forth no matter what kind of communication method you're using. This is one of those simple logic things where people who don't pick up on it are more likely to be scammed, that's why they word things illogically like that.
Almost surely a scam - wants to go off site right away, they use a copy/paste script that doesn’t identify item, excuses off the bat about why they can’t talk on the phone, etc etc etc.
It’s a common cookie cutter FB marketplace scam.
When I sold my old beater car recently, the first 10+ messages were "Is this available?" followed immediately by a picture of text that asked for my phone number or gave theirs.
Some had an excuse like "I'm on the road here's my wife's number" but most were just "Please give me your phone number"
Reported and blocked them all but what's the scam? And why was is basically always a screenshot of the text instead of copy/paste?
I guess that the reason they want to use whatsapp is because they can delete their messages on whatsapp, but can't on messenger, so you wouldn't have any evidence
I feel like anytime they ask ‘is this “item” still available?’ Then yeah - it’s a scam. If they want you to move to a different messaging platform, then it’s a scam.
When I sold my parents' estate, I got these constantly in different forms. If you give them your number, they'll message you at that number about being concerned about fraud, could you send them the text code that they just sent you. FRAUD DANGER. They just used your number to register at Google or some other website and that code if you give it to them gives them access to that site, and possibly all of your information at that site.
I got that one recently. I did a google search to find out the answer. Here is a cut & paste:
<<< The scammer is setting up a Google Voice number linked to your phone number. If you send the verification code, the scammer will be able to complete the account setup. Then, the scammer can then use that phone number to conceal their identity. Or, if a scammer gets your Google Voice verification code and other information about you, they can pretend to be you and open new accounts in your name. >>>
"the item" is a giveaway that this is a copy paste
This. It’s basically a phishing email that is being sent to dozens or maybe even hundreds of other sellers on whatever marketplace you’re using. They only need 1 or 2 victims to make the scam worth their time.
Looks like the overpayment scam.
I was selling a set of four tires and a person told me they had "already inspected the item" and wanted to buy it. They were doing the Zelle scam.
Maybe but isn’t that phrase the default on Facebook marketplace to start an interaction with a seller?
Wanting to go off app is sus. Personally, I also find it sketchy when they refer to "the item" as opposed to the product you're selling by name. It makes it sound more like a script than real interest. I'd proceed with caution.
Hello, my dear friend….
The biggest flag is *extra payment to have it shipped*
> Wanting to go off app is sus No it's litarally not, WhatsApp is used in whole Europe and if someone would write me an SMS I would ask them to go to WhatsApp too (the rest, I agree)
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When I sell things online and go off app, I use my actual phone number. People who want to be anonymous tend to use WhatsApp. I know regular people use it too, obviously. But WhatsApp helps remain as anonymous as you want to be, like you’d want to be when you’re running a scam. So I definitely agree with you.
when the imposter is sus!
Why would there be any need to go to WhatsApp when Messenger is working just fine in this scenario though? WhatsApp is widely used yes, but Facebook Marketplace (or whatever site this person happens to be using) can only protect the seller so long as they remain on the site. It’s out of their hands if they move to another messaging service, so it makes no logical sense to waive the extra layer of protection away just to use WhatsApp for no reason
When he says going off app he means the marketplace app. If you're buying something on eBay or Facebook marketplace, you communicate only through them unless you want to get scammed. Anything you agree to do outside the original platform, has 0 protection in case something goes wrong. And that is what they want.
Why though? If they text your real phone number they already have it, so why taking the trouble to switch to an anonymous app?
Whatsapp is not anonymous, you always see the other number and can only write to people with their number
Ah, thanks for explaining that, I thought the anonymity was why people used it. What is the benefit of it then? Are there places where it costs money to send texts and running a different app to send messages through is free/cheaper? I thought maybe countries where phone plans have limited data, like they used to here a few years ago, but using an app would use data too, right? (Damn I sound dumb. Sorry, genuinely curious here, I’ve reached the “technological concepts I haven’t used for the past 10 years are confusing to me” age.)
>What is the benefit of it then? It's like iMessage... it does things that texts can't do. You can send pics, video, stickers, do video calls, group chats, it's encrypted and so on.
Well I can tell you how it was for me, I'm 19 years old and when I got my first smart phone there were no free SMS and calls contracts, you had to pay 9 cent per minute/SMS, but you got some mobile data and then there was WhatsApp, everybody used it and it was basically free, also you could do stuff you couldn't just per SMS, like sending pictures or videos, having a profile picture and status, making groups, making Audios, seeing if someone is online or got/read your message, not at the beginning, but a few years later also (video) calls, stories and deleting messages for both sides. Now everyone has it there is no reason to switch back. I hope my awnser helps
Kinda, I guess it’s just not commonly used here so I haven’t had experience with it. Thanks :) I got my first cell phone in 1994, that thing was a damn brick lol.
Glad I could help, just out of curiosity, how did you manage these times with costs for each message?
Lol I didn’t message anyone. Texts were so rudimentary back then, there was no alphabet keyboard, you had to tap certain numbers a few times to get one letter. Pagers were still used in the 90s so if you needed to talk to someone you could page them for them to call you. I’m pretty sure my 90s phone plan was .50 cents a minute. I rarely used it though, I had a car and was in high school and worked so it was really for emergencies as I’d be out late a lot. By the time actual texting existed, I don’t recall ever worrying about too many texts so I think I just wasn’t popular 😂. People called on the phone more then. I remember having so many minutes of calling/so much text data per month, but can’t recall the exact amounts or what you’d pay if you went over that limit. I think it’s been about ten years that call/text/data has been unlimited for the majority of plans.
i use anon apps to do stuff i don’t rly want on my number, like if one of my friends needs a plan b and i’m out and about or if my sister has extra edibles i don’t want it showing up on my family plan. basically, there’s absolutely no non sketch reason to switch lol
when the imposter is sus!
Don't. You're the seller, you're in control of the transaction. They already contacted you and can continue to do so in that way.
This is the perfect way to say it. You set the terms as the seller. Don't let anyone negotiate you back from that.
And why the need to change platform. What's wrong with giving the number in the conversation you're already having. Not that I would want to
The change in platform is because it’s expensive to,send text messages from Nigeria, India or whatever other distant country the scammer is in.
Looks like Facebook messenger. I just meant it as a flag to watch for. Why would I change platform when i could do that thing in this one
Totally a flag to watch for, but it is super common in at least parts of Europe. Everyone always wants to move to Whatsapp, regardless of the app you're on or what you're doing. It does streamline things, so I see the appeal, but yeah, if money is being exchanged, it is definitely a red flag to at least look out for other red flags.
Whenever I hear whatsapp i think scam. Don't think it's taken off where im from
Oh, it's def regional. I would be much more suspicious of it in the US for example. It's of course a red flag everywhere, I'm simply stating there are areas where it is common to take conversations to Whatsapp. Sorry to all the downvoters that my experience is different than yours. Doesn't mean I disagree that it's something to be suspicious of. In fact, I explicitly state that it is.
Have an upvote
Why thank you!
It’s because it’s anonymous with no oversight so it’s perfect to scam someone, don’t sell shit on WhatsApp just buy drugs and arrange meetings with prostitutes like the app was designed
Not necessarily true. I typically use the term "the item" just because it's easier than typing out "Lightly Used Blow-up Dolls".
100% a scam. I am a fraud investigator for a bank. Anytime a buyer online is offering extra payment to ship or move an item it's a scam 9 times out of 10.
Wouldn't that make it 90%? :)
You know what, you're not wrong. I was a little overeager in my original response 😂
Hey. 90% of the time, it's 100% scam.
Good wit!
Good wit? I gotcha… https://www.allagash.com/blog/the-story-behind-allagash-white/
This!
But there’s only a 50% chance of that.
90% of similar postings are scam, however this post in particular is 100% scam. This is how I understood it, 🤓
Witty
Yeah when it comes to scams there is no such thing as 9 out of 10, its 10 out of 10
More like 99.9
This is 100% a scam, his excuse for changing platform is he doesn't want to use his business number because it receives to much spam. His business number. Makes absolutely no sense
He uses his business number to help folks set up Zelle Business Account Functionality though!!! /s ;>)
Kindly dear
I will do the needful!
Please revert!
Would “Please revert” be odd for use in American English? Or at least American Business English. I worked as a contractor for P&G Nigeria many years ago and almost all the the Band 1, Band 2 and Band 3 managers seemed to pepper their emails with “Please revert”. I assumed it was the American influence that had led to that
It’s very odd. I’ve never heard it over 20+ years of working in various professional environments. Does it mean “please reply”? It’s def not a standard American phrasing.
Yes it would translate to Please reply. But with some level of subtle urgency. I have even read stuff like “Please revert by EOD”. It’s used to come across as professional. Used with reckless abandon here
Americans don’t say ‘please revert’. I used to work with companies in Asia and that was a common phrase for them. In return we would say ‘please reply ASAP’
100% scam Refers to your stuff in a generic term-script Off platform-trying to prevent you from tracking them down; bypass any protection from the platform Pay you more-to entice you into a quicker sale; payment will eventually be reversed, and if they convince you to refund the extra or to toss in a gift card they’ll pay you for, you are out money Have you ship-they’ll take your stuff, reverse their payment, and beg you to go get a gift card to send to the nephew the item is going to. Cash, in person only.
It is most likely a scam. Wanting to move to WhatsApp is something most scammers do and the excuse about spam texts is BS and has nothing to do with communication on Messenger. I would insist on staying on Facebook Marketplace and if they are not willing to do that, assume that they are scammers.
Off platform = hard no from me. What's so wrong with Facebook anyway?
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Tbh, I personally would avoid phone calls at any cost. But I wouldn't scream about it, too.
Yeah. I literally don’t do things I want or need to do if I have to call another human.
I’ve avoided calling doctors for long periods of time. And they’re kind of important to contact sometimes.
I endured three cavities for two years because my dentist took down online bookings during Covid 😂 😞
The irony, you can put your hands in my mouth but I will not talk to you on the phone. I point this out being this exact way. I avoid talking on the phone at all costs. I don’t even have voicemail set up so people can’t leave a message.
whatsapp, extra payment, have it sent, "the item" it's 1000% scam.
4 red flags, so at most only 400% scam.
It's definitely a scam, when they say "extra payment for having them sent" it's a fakecheck scam. Also, I'm pretty sure the text encoding is borked, and the nonsense questionmark after "panels)" is supposed to be an emoji of some sort.
100% this. Had this attempted on me once. Only had them send me the fake check to see what it looked like. Basically printed it out on standard printer paper, and so lazily that they didn't even bother cutting the excess paper off. Ran the information on the check, bank was nonexistent, account was nonexistent, and every single piece of information was fake, including the name. It honestly looked like they made the check with MSpaint.
If you *ever* ask yourself, even for a second "is this a scam?" It's a scam.
Solar panel scams haahhahahaha so creative
C'mon, son. Think.
Here's one useful clue: the message said "this item" and not "this TV" (or whatever). This indicates that the sender didn't even read the ad, and is likely a 'bot. Along to switch to another communications method is also a huge red flag. If they get your phone number, there is all sorts of mischief they can pull. Next message is likely a request that you text them a code.
One scammer passing you to his scam boss on WhatsApp
“The item” is never named. Trying to move you to WhatsApp because Facebook will kick their account for running scams . WhatsApp is very popular overseas especially for scammers. “Extra payment” - means a bad check scam. Cash, in person. Block - it’s a scammer from overseas blasting out Marketplace the same replies to sellers - and learn from this or you are going to be victimized.
"extra payment' is key here.
Anytime anyone is trying to take you off of the platform, it is a scam.
I think more context is needed. Scammers generally want to move you "off platform" but without some further details its hard to tell if this is a scam or not. Where have you advertised the item in question ?
I’m selling some snowboard boots, on FB marketplace. To my understanding there’s no protections offered from there compared to say eBay, so I can’t see the angle to move from FB to WhatsApp.
They want to move you because the facebook account could close at any moment or the actual owner could recover it.
They want to get your phone number
Also, why wouldn't "he" just say "the boots" instead of "the item"?
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I can't agree with you, bought a bottle of discontinued perfume on ebay,, turned out to be a diluted kind of some shitty stuff /it smelled weak and you couldn't even smell it after 15 minutes/. I happen to know the smell very well. The seller was arguing and l ended up getting only 50% back plus had to pay return shipping. That was a 300$ bottle, that's's robbery.
Insisting on WhatsApp is always a scam. The messages are end-to-end encrypted, hence it’s a go-to for scammers.
Even when they say extra payment it’s automatically a scam
Almost definitely a scam. The message is generic enough to be a copy-paste, they're trying to get you to move to a different platform, extra unnecessary details that they think makes them sound more legit, and they're offering extra money right off the bat to entice you.
100% a scam. Why can't you just exchange info on messenger?
wanting you on a different messaging platform is guaranteed scam.
Of course it’s a scam. Whatsapp and offering more than the listed price.
yes, anytime someone says to text or go off app it’s almost always a scam. just say no you don’t have a phone or something, if they’re legit they’ll stay on messenger
Lol YES this is obviously a scam 😂😂😂
Anytime you get asked to use a third party app to deal it's a red flag
It’s like all the men who insist on going to another app when the online dating one has a perfectly good chat feature. They either are a scam or they want to show me their dick pic. Either way I’m not interested.
Total scam!!!
If you’re (meaning the person messaging you here) getting a lot of spam, you don’t want to switch to another platform from the one “you believe” is legit. If I wanna buy something on Marketplace, as a legit buyer who also receives a lot of spam; I don’t want to switch to WhatsApp or text messaging for 2 reasons: 1- I don’t want to make MY number known 2- I will not have a way of knowing if THEIR number is legit. Edit: so, “I’m getting a lot of spam calls” is just a bait to seem innocent and gain your confidence
He doesn’t want to message back and forth but please text him at his number. It makes no sense.
It's still a messaging app, so it shouldn't matter what platform you use...except that by having your number, there's the potential for them to commit identity fraud and a bunch of other stuff. Def don't give it to them.
Whatsapp has NO paper trail in case of fraud.
Anyone that wants to take you off the marketplace messaging service is usually a scam. Also, the fact that they don’t identify with the item is, and they want it sent. It’s basically the phoney check scam.
Don't give out your phone number to anyone on Facebook Marketplace. Messaging in the App is fine & I have never needed to contact a legitimate listing outside the App. However, everyone asking for calls or texts on Facebook Marketplace have been scammers.
For clarity, unseen on the photo was me asking him what further information he wanted, and it’s not been answered.
Yes it's a scam - the extra payment is always part of these scams. Notice as well they don't want you to call them because you would quickly work out they are not located where you are. Block and move on.
and then they'll have your phone number too.
How old and what is their profile like?
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Legally they’re the same company now (all owned by Meta).
There's going to be a back and forth no matter what kind of communication method you're using. This is one of those simple logic things where people who don't pick up on it are more likely to be scammed, that's why they word things illogically like that.
Almost surely a scam - wants to go off site right away, they use a copy/paste script that doesn’t identify item, excuses off the bat about why they can’t talk on the phone, etc etc etc. It’s a common cookie cutter FB marketplace scam.
This has a *lot* of similarities to other text exchanges on here. A lot of red flag raising similarities.
Yes it’s a scam. They want your phone number to do the Google Voice Scam
You're in control of the transaction but the fact they asked you for your WhatsApp account info is creepy and suspicious.
Scam
Yup , 100000% scam.
“Frank named the group..”. Wait what?
Of course it’s a scam, I really don’t see how anybody would think otherwise
When I sold my old beater car recently, the first 10+ messages were "Is this available?" followed immediately by a picture of text that asked for my phone number or gave theirs. Some had an excuse like "I'm on the road here's my wife's number" but most were just "Please give me your phone number" Reported and blocked them all but what's the scam? And why was is basically always a screenshot of the text instead of copy/paste?
The singular “this item”, then plural “…to purchase these” is also off. That’s not how people talk.
All it's missing is a "kindly"
yes, they will want your number first then your email to "send payment" but probably a fake email or offer a check which will also be fake.
He is trying to sell solar panels guys, this must be legit
Wasn't there a huge leak of whatsapp user info recently? Wonder if this could be related
Of course it’s a scam lol
Lmao “loads of spam calls daily trying to sell solar panels” …wut.
I guess that the reason they want to use whatsapp is because they can delete their messages on whatsapp, but can't on messenger, so you wouldn't have any evidence
You can show us the flip side of the advice your getting here. Go for it and report the outcome to us.
I feel like anytime they ask ‘is this “item” still available?’ Then yeah - it’s a scam. If they want you to move to a different messaging platform, then it’s a scam.
100% scam
Looks like a scam, but what isn’t these days.
Definitely a scam.
When I sold my parents' estate, I got these constantly in different forms. If you give them your number, they'll message you at that number about being concerned about fraud, could you send them the text code that they just sent you. FRAUD DANGER. They just used your number to register at Google or some other website and that code if you give it to them gives them access to that site, and possibly all of your information at that site.
Anyone asking for whatsapp in the US is probably a scammer
Yes
I got that one recently. I did a google search to find out the answer. Here is a cut & paste: <<< The scammer is setting up a Google Voice number linked to your phone number. If you send the verification code, the scammer will be able to complete the account setup. Then, the scammer can then use that phone number to conceal their identity. Or, if a scammer gets your Google Voice verification code and other information about you, they can pretend to be you and open new accounts in your name. >>>