The Verification Code, Gift Card, and Deposit Scams on Listcrawler, Explained

I almost read a six-digit code to a stranger in a Marriott in Charlotte. I'd been on classifieds sites for over a decade at that point. Craigslist, Backpage, then Listcrawler once it became the place everyone went. I thought I was the guy who spots this stuff from a mile away. Turns out I was just the guy who was tired and a little bored on a Tuesday night, which is exactly who these scams are built for.

There are three scams I see over and over. They look different on the surface but they share one trick: they get you to hand over something before you've met anyone. Let me walk through each one the way the conversation actually goes.

The rule, before anything else

I'll just put it here so you don't have to scroll. A real person never needs a code from your phone, and never needs money from you before you've met. Ever. If either one comes up, the conversation is over. Everything below is just detail on how they try to get around that rule.

Scam one: read me the code

This is the one that almost got me. Here's how it went, close to word for word.

I sent a normal message. She replied fast, friendly, a little flirty. Then: "Hey babe, I've had some bad experiences lately so I verify everyone. I'm sending you a code, just read it back to me so I know you're real." About ten seconds later my phone buzzed with a text. "Your Google Voice verification code is 4XXXXX. Don't share this code with anyone."

Look at that last sentence. It's right there. I still had my thumb over the copy button. What stopped me was dumb luck: I'd just read a thread about this the week before, and the words "Google Voice" jumped out at me.

What's actually happening is this. The scammer goes to Google Voice (or WhatsApp, or your email provider, or sometimes a bank) and starts setting up an account using your phone number. The service texts you a code to confirm you own that number. If you read it to them, they now have a Google Voice number linked to your real number. They use it to run more scams, and when the police trace it, it points at you. With WhatsApp or email codes, they can take over the account itself and start messaging your contacts.

"Verification" is a nice cover story because screening is a real thing on these sites. That's what makes it work. But real screening never involves a code that your phone just received from a company.

If you already gave them the code

Don't beat yourself up. Move fast instead.

• Google Voice: go to the Google Voice site, sign in with your own Google account, and try to link your number. Google has a reclaim process for numbers that were linked without your permission. Follow their help page for reclaiming a linked number. It usually works.
• WhatsApp: reinstall or reopen it and register your number again. That kicks the other device off. Then turn on two-step verification in the settings so they need a PIN next time.
• Email or anything else: change the password right away, sign out of all other sessions, and turn on two-factor authentication with an authenticator app rather than text messages if the service allows it.
• If you reuse that password anywhere else, change it there too. Yes, all of them. I know.

Then report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov. It helps build a record if your number ever shows up somewhere it shouldn't.

Scam two: the gift card deposit

My friend Rob in Denver got caught by this one, so I'll tell his version. He was traveling, found an ad, and the conversation went great. Quick replies, lots of enthusiasm. Then she said a lot of guys had been no-showing, so she needed a small deposit first. Gift card. Apple card, specifically. Send a photo of the back.

He sent it. Here's where the second hook goes in. A few minutes later: "The card didn't go through, my system needs a second one to validate the first." Then a "security hold." Then a "refundable" amount that would come back to him once they met. Every step is designed to make the last payment feel like it'll be wasted unless you send one more.

Rob sent three before he called me. Nobody showed up, obviously. The number went dead the next morning.

Why gift cards? Because once someone has the numbers off the back, the money is gone in minutes and it's almost impossible to trace. No legitimate person in any context asks for payment as a photo of a gift card. That alone should end the conversation.

If you already bought the gift cards

Speed matters here more than anything. Call the company that issued the card (Apple, Google Play, Amazon, Visa gift, whichever) using the number on their official site, not a number someone texted you. Tell them the card was used in a scam and give them the card numbers and your receipt. Sometimes, if the balance hasn't been drained yet, they can freeze it. Keep the physical cards and receipts. Then file a report with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Rob got nothing back. But he called late. Call the same hour if you can.

Scam three: the paid screening site

This one is slicker, and it fools people who'd never fall for a gift card request. The conversation goes like this: "For my safety I only see guys verified through [some site]. It's quick, just sign up and send me your confirmation." You get a link to a site with a logo, a little padlock, maybe some fake reviews. It asks for your name, your ID, sometimes your employer, and a "membership" or "verification" fee.

The site is fake. It exists only for this scam. They now have your card number, your ID photo, and personal details they can use later, sometimes for the threatening-text scam if they want to squeeze you a second time. And of course after you pay, there's a "premium tier" you need to buy before she can see your status. Same escalating pattern as the gift cards, just with a nicer font.

I'll be honest, I've seen some of these look really polished. One that a guy in Phoenix sent me had a chat widget. Doesn't matter. Real screening, the kind that actual providers do, doesn't involve you paying a website she picked.

If you already entered a card, call your bank, dispute the charge, and ask for a new card number. If you uploaded an ID, keep an eye on your credit and consider a freeze with the three bureaus. It's free and takes about twenty minutes.

The signs I look for now

After Charlotte I got a lot pickier. The pattern almost always shows up in the first few messages:

• Replies that come instantly, every time, with no questions about the actual details.
• Any mention of a code, a link, a deposit, or "verifying" you through some outside service.
• Pressure that ramps up when you hesitate. "Hurry, I have someone else waiting."

A normal conversation is boring in a good way. Logistics, timing, location. I wrote about what that looks like in the guide to messages that actually get replies. If your conversation doesn't look like that, it's probably not real. The stings and fake ads page covers more of the bait patterns.

About the embarrassment

Rob didn't tell anyone for a month. He figured people would think he was an idiot. I didn't, and nobody I know who's been on these sites for long would either. Half of us have a story. The scammers rely on you keeping quiet, because quiet people don't report, don't warn their friends, and sometimes come back for a second round. Report it, tell a friend, and move on.

Find a real ad in your city

Pick your city from the city list and browse slowly. If anyone asks for a code or money up front, close the chat. There are plenty of real ads, so you don't lose anything by walking away from a fake one.