Selling online without giving out your phone number

Marketplaces have their own messages for a reason: once a buyer has your number, scams can follow you off the platform.

Marketplaces keep it hidden

• Wallapop: other users see a verified badge, not your number, and you don’t need it to buy or sell.
• Kleinanzeigen: private sellers are no longer asked for a number in new ads, because phishing increasingly comes by text and messenger.
• Marktplaats: never asks for your email address or phone number in a chat.

Scams that start with your number

• The code scam: a “buyer” asks for a code to check you’re real. The US FTC says it sets up an account on your number. See the verification code scam.
• OfferUp says it never sends codes to verify listings, so a buyer asking for one is a scammer.
• Depop says it never contacts you by WhatsApp, text or call, so messages that do aren’t from Depop.

How to sell safely

1. Keep every conversation in the marketplace’s own messages.
2. Don’t put your number in a listing or a photo.
3. Never type a code anywhere except the app you’re signing in to.

Keeping your number off sign-ups

If a site insists on a number and you’d rather not give yours, a one-time number from ReserveSMS can take the code. For an account you sell from regularly, a number you keep is the safer choice, so you can get later security codes. See keeping your number private.

Common questions

Do I need to give buyers my phone number?

Rarely. Marketplaces like Wallapop say you don’t need it to buy or sell. Keep conversations in the app’s messages.

A buyer asked me for a code to verify my listing. Is that real?

No. OfferUp says it never sends codes to verify listings; the FTC describes this as a common scam.

Can other users see my number on Wallapop?

No. They see a verified badge, not the number.