Safety & privacy
Someone Asked for Your Verification Code? Don't Share It
The verification code scam is simple: a stranger triggers a login or sign-up code to your phone, then talks you into reading it back to them. That code lets them take over one of your accounts or set up a new one tied to your phone number. If anyone asks for a code you received, the answer is no, every time.
It turns up on video chats, messaging apps and online marketplaces, always with a friendly story attached. Here's how it works, the lines scammers use, and exactly what to do if you've already shared a code.
How the scam works, step by step
- The scammer gets your phone number. You might share it in a chat, or they find it online or in a hacked friend's contacts.
- They start signing in to, or creating, an account with your number: often WhatsApp or Google Voice, sometimes email, social media or a payment app.
- The real service texts you a one-time code to confirm it's really you.
- The scammer gives you a reason to send them that code.
- They type it in. Now they control the account, or own a new account linked to your number.
A verification code is the service's way of asking the phone's owner, "Did you approve this?" Reading it to someone else answers yes on your behalf.
The lines scammers use
The story changes, the request doesn't. If any of these show up in a chat, you're looking at this scam.
| What they say | What's really happening |
|---|---|
| "I want to make sure you're a real person, so I'll text you a code." | They're creating a Google Voice number linked to your phone number |
| "Oops, I sent my code to your number by mistake. Can you send it back?" | They're logging in to your account, often WhatsApp |
| "Help me win a contest, just forward the code you get." | Account takeover dressed up as a favor |
| A friend messages: "Can you send me the code I just sent you?" | Your friend's account was already hijacked, and now they want yours |
| "I'm from support. Read me the code to secure your account." | Real support teams don't ask for codes |
| "Just hold your phone up to the camera for a second." | The video chat version of the same trick |
The Google Voice code scam
This one is common on marketplaces and chats. The person says they want to verify you before buying, selling or meeting. In reality, Google Voice is texting you a code because they're setting up a Google Voice number using your phone number as proof. Once you share it, they have a working number linked to you that they can use to scam other people while staying hidden.
The WhatsApp code scam
WhatsApp confirms a phone number with a six-digit code sent by text. When someone tries to register WhatsApp with your number on their own phone, that code comes to you. If you share it, they're signed in as you. They can then switch on two-step verification to lock you out and message your contacts asking for money, or for their codes too.
Why smart people fall for it
- It feels like a tiny favor. After ten friendly minutes on a video chat, reading out six digits seems harmless.
- The text is real. It genuinely comes from WhatsApp, Google or your bank, so nothing looks fake.
- There's time pressure. "Quick, it expires in a minute" stops you from reading the message, which often says not to share the code.
- A familiar face or name helps. On video you see a real person, and a hijacked friend's account looks exactly like your friend.
Pressure, urgency and a sudden request are classic warning signs in any chat. Our list of red flags when talking to strangers online covers the rest.
Already shared a code? Do this now
Move fast, but don't panic. Most of this can be undone. Menu names may differ slightly by app version.
If it was WhatsApp
- Open WhatsApp on your phone and sign in again with your phone number. Enter the new code you receive by text. Signing back in on your phone signs the scammer's device out.
- If they've already set a two-step verification PIN, you may have to wait several days before WhatsApp lets you back in without it. Keep your number and try again when allowed.
- Once you're in, turn on two-step verification yourself: Settings → Account → Two-step verification.
- Warn your contacts that any recent messages asking for money or codes weren't from you.
If it was Google Voice
Your number is now linked to someone else's Google Voice account. Google lets you reclaim it: sign in to Google Voice with your own Google account, add your number as a linked phone, and follow the prompt to reclaim it if it says the number is already in use. The Google Voice Help Center has the current steps.
If it was email, social media, a bank or a payment app
- Change the password from a device you trust and sign out of all other sessions in the security settings.
- Check that the recovery email and phone number are still yours.
- Turn on two-factor authentication with an authenticator app or passkey where offered.
- For a bank or payment code, call your bank's official number right away and check recent transactions.
- Ask your mobile carrier about adding a PIN or extra protection to your phone account.
In the US, you can report online fraud to the FBI's IC3. Report the person on the platform where they asked, too.
Why Omlet will never ask you for a code
Omlet has no accounts. It doesn't ask for your name, email address or phone number, so it never sends you a code and there's nothing to verify. Anyone in a chat asking you for a code isn't Omlet and isn't checking anything.
If it happens, tap the flag on their video, choose Spam, ads or scams and press Report and skip. Omlet's in-chat tips also warn about scams and links as they come up. Links that ask you to "log in to verify" are the same trick in a different form; see is it safe to click links from strangers?
Keep your phone out of shot during video chats as well. A lock-screen preview can show a code, and anything on camera can be saved, as our guide on whether you can tell if someone is screen recording explains. For other common setups, see video chat scams and how to spot them.
The one rule to remember
Never read a code to anyone. Not a new friend, not a buyer, not someone claiming to be support, not even a friend's account. A code is a key, not a test. Pair that with the habits in how to stay safe on random video chat and this scam has nothing to work with.