Marketplace Text Scam Uses Your Name as Seller

How the Attack Worked

The scam arrives as an iMessage text asking “Is this still available for purchase?” with a fabricated Facebook Marketplace listing attached. When the recipient taps the image, they notice something odd: the seller's name listed on the item is their own name, even though they never posted anything for sale. This mismatch is the hook. It is designed to provoke a quick, almost automatic reply along the lines of “That isn't me.”

That reply is the actual goal of the scam. Replying to a phishing text confirms to the sender that the phone number is live and monitored, which makes the number more valuable for follow-on fraud or account takeover attempts.

Why It Succeeded

The attack works because it uses what the source describes as a conversation lure, a personalization technique that adds legitimacy to a message and gives the recipient an additional reason to engage. Seeing your own name attached to a listing you did not create combines curiosity, concern about your reputation, and the instinct to correct an apparent mistake. That combination of psychological triggers is likely effective precisely because it feels urgent and personal rather than like a generic spam text.

The personalization also suggests the attacker already had a name and phone number pairing, which could come from any number of data breaches. This lowers the bar for the scam since the attacker does not need to guess who they are targeting.

What to Watch For

• An unsolicited text from an unknown sender asking about a purchase you never listed
• An attached listing that claims you are the seller
• Any profile picture or name mismatch on the supposed listing
• Pressure to quickly reply to “correct” the listing

How to Build Resistance

• Don't reply to unexpected texts from strangers, even to correct them, since replying confirms your number is active
• Treat personalized messages that use your name or identity as a red flag rather than reassurance
• If you're concerned your account is being misused, open Facebook directly and review Marketplace activity, recent logins, messages, email addresses, phone numbers, and recovery settings instead of using any links or numbers from the text
• Be mindful that breached data combining your name and phone number can be reused to craft convincing lures, and consider limiting what personal information you share publicly

This scam targets all employees who use mobile messaging, including executives, HR, finance, and customer support or sales staff who handle high volumes of inbound messages, since any of them could plausibly receive an unexpected buyer inquiry.

How does the Marketplace text scam work?

An iMessage text asks if an item is still available and attaches a fabricated Marketplace listing that shows the recipient's own name as the seller, prompting a quick corrective reply.

Why is replying to this text risky?

Replying, even to say the listing isn't yours, confirms to the scammer that your phone number is active, which increases its value for follow-on scams or account takeover attempts.

Where does the attacker get my name and phone number?

The combination of name and phone number likely comes from data breaches, which attackers use to build a personalized fake listing.

What should I do if I think my Marketplace account is compromised?

Open Facebook directly and check Marketplace activity, recent logins, messages, emails, phone numbers, and recovery settings rather than clicking links in messages.