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Scam alert

Stranger Texts a Marketplace Listing With Your Name? Don't Reply

Posted

New York · fingerlakesdailynews.com · Arrives by a text message or iMessage

The short answer

A text from a stranger asking whether your item is still available, with a picture of a Facebook Marketplace listing showing your name as the seller, is a lure to get you to reply. You never posted the listing. In October 2026 the New York State Sheriffs' Association said even a reply saying it isn't you can confirm your number is active and lead to more scam messages. Don't reply, tap links, or share any code. Open Facebook yourself to check your account, then block and report the text.

What is happening

On October 16, 2026, Finger Lakes Daily News reported a New York State Sheriffs' Association warning about unexpected texts that ask whether an item is still available and include what appears to be a Facebook Marketplace listing naming the recipient as the seller. On October 13, Fox News's CyberGuy Report described Malwarebytes research on one example sent by iMessage: the seller's name matched the recipient, but the profile photo belonged to a different person with the same name, which suggests the sender may have started with a name and phone number from breached data or another source. Malwarebytes said a number that gets a reply can become more valuable to scammers and can be resold to others.

How to recognize it

  • A number you don't know texts to ask if something is still for sale, and the attached listing shows your own name as the seller.
  • You never posted that item on Marketplace.
  • The name on the listing is yours, but the profile photo may belong to someone else.
  • The message seems built to make you worry someone is using your identity, so that you write back to correct it.

What to do instead

  1. Don't reply, even to say it isn't you. A reply tells the sender the number is active.
  2. Don't tap links, call numbers, or scan codes in the conversation, and never share a verification code.
  3. Open the Facebook app or type the address yourself, and look over your Marketplace activity, recent logins, and contact details.
  4. Block and report the text. You can also forward it to 7726 (SPAM) so your carrier can look at it.
  5. If you want to tell someone, the rule is: your name in a stranger's text proves nothing, so don't reply.

If it already happened

Responding to one of these is common and understandable. These steps are what people usually take next.

  1. Replying to correct what looks like a mistake is a common and understandable reaction. This text is built to get exactly that reply.
  2. If you only replied, stop the conversation and block the sender, and take extra care with unexpected texts or calls that follow.
  3. If you tapped a link and entered your Facebook password, change it through the real app or website and turn on two-factor authentication.
  4. If you shared a one-time code, go to that account directly, change the password, and review its security settings.
  5. If you find a real profile pretending to be you, save its address and report it to Facebook. You can also report the text at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
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Common questions

Does this mean my Facebook account was hacked?
Not by itself. Fox News's CyberGuy Report says the Marketplace image may simply be fabricated, and that a reply alone does not give anyone access to your Facebook account. Check Facebook yourself to be sure.
How did they get my name and number?
Malwarebytes said the name and phone number could come from any number of data breaches. The New York State Sheriffs' Association cautions that scammers need very little personal information to make a message look real.

Practice this safely

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Stranger Texts a Marketplace Listing With Your Name? Don't Reply

A text from a stranger asking whether your item is still available, with a picture of a Facebook Marketplace listing showing your name as the seller, is a lure to get you to reply. You never posted the listing. In October 2026 the New York State Sheriffs' Association said even a reply saying it isn't you can confirm your number is active and lead to more scam messages. Don't reply, tap links, or share any code. Open Facebook yourself to check your account, then block and report the text.

Read the full alert: https://endscamsproject.com/latest-scams/facebook-marketplace-your-name-text-scam

Where this comes from

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This alert provides general educational information drawn from the sources above. It cannot determine whether a specific message you received is genuine, investigate an incident, or promise recovery or reimbursement.

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