Craigslist Scam: Anyone not in town willing to buy something without seeing it that won’t use paypal or cash.
Craigslist Scam: People that want to get paid to flag your competitors ads. Here is one: (720) 432-1693
Phone Scam: Calling saying you have a warrant out for your arrest and they are on their way to you if you don’t pay them now (This is not how low enforcement works).
Phone Scam: Most Charity calls asking for money over the phone.
Robbery Scam: Ringing the doorbell in the middle of the day and ask asking for their phone which they are showing is in your house which someone is going through your car or scouting out your home for robbery.
Phone Scam: Travel Packages that you “won” if you just give them your information.
Phone Scam: IRS problems and they need a payment now (IRS does not work this way)
Phone Scam: Free trial offers on various things but they need your information
Phone Scam: Extended warranties (These are not done over the phone)
Phone Scam: Calling asking if the connection is ok. What they want is to record you saying the word “YES” and put that recording on contracts. Never say the word “YES” from an unknown caller.
Google Voice Scam: They will call you and give you any number of reasons and say when you get another call to enter this 2digit code. When you get the second call and enter the code it says that you are now authorised to use the #. That mean that someone just attached a google voice number to you personally.
Best Practice:
Phone) Just don’t answer your personal phone for unknown callers. Most of these scams don’t work for a call-back.
Craigslist) Don’t sell anything to anyone not willing to pay cash/vinmo/paypal when they show up to inspect the item. Don’t waste any time on people out of town for a more expensive item (like a vehicle).
When selling or advertising) Use Google Voice as a separate, virtual, phone number that you can use while selling/advertising things so that you do not have to answer unknown callers on your personal phone line.
More useful info on scams:
From google voice: https://support.google.com/faqs/answer/2952493?hl=en
From FTC: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/scam-alerts
Notes:
<currently, there is no way to report scammers using Google Voice numbers. It’s a waste of time to report to FTC or watchdogs and Google currently does not care how the Google Voice system is used>