ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — People can have their private information stolen on social media, email or on other internet platforms, and a non-profit Identity Theft Resource Center says thieves are turning to Google Voice to take people's money.
Scammers are giving out the codes associated with people's Google Voice accounts and if some decide to access the code, it can leave them vulnerable.
“Somebody will come to you and say 'I wanna buy what you're selling,' or 'I want to sell your product in my own store but I need to know you're real so verify your legitimacy by giving me your Google Voice code,” ITRC Chief Operating Officer James Lee said.
The problem is that thieves can use the access code to take people's money, according to Lee.
“They may take over their business, they may try to claim all the revenue from the sales coming from that business the person's offering,” he said.
Lee also said even people's social media accounts need to be protected as if it was a social security number. He recommends people to use a two-factor authentication and to not click on links that a friend would not send you through a direct message.
Here’s a link to check out the ITRC report.