HEADS UP: Google "2-step verification" scam??!

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MulGamer

Commendable
Jul 21, 2016
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Something strange happened today while trying to log into my Google account. I have 2-step verification turned on and a burner $20 cell phone I use specifically for logging in. I have not shared this phone # with anyone else, and as far as I know no one knows about it.

Anyways, usually I get my verification code from "22000" which is the "official" Google number as far as I know. But this morning when I tried to log in I noticed the text message took MUCH longer to arrive, like 3-4 minutes, I also noticed it came from "7542631992" which is strange.... a Florida number??

I never entered the code and deleted those texts without even opening, as I suspect some sort of scam.

Just to check if it was a fluke or not I went and opened a "throwaway" Gmail account and set up 2-step verification with the same #. I signed in a few times and the code came from the correct "22000" sender with no problems

Can anyone clarify what's going on here? Is this a scam or is it legit? HELP! This account is kind of important so I would like to get back into it soon.

I am hesitant to enter any "codes" sent to me from this strange Florida number just in case it is a hacker. I am in Colorado, if that matters at all.

Ugh..... and I thought 2-step verification was "fool-proof"? If this is indeed a hacker trying to get in I am curious how they got into Google, I had assumed Google was pretty solid as an email provider.
 
Solution
As nobody here works for Google, it's difficult to say with any certainty, although I agree with you that it does seem highly suspicious. I've heard no rumblings about this particularly type of "scam", although I wouldn't be entirely surprised if it were true. You might be better off trying to reach out to Google about this, since they are more likely to know further details. If anybody else around here has encountered the same thing, hopefully they'll speak up.

Titillating

Expert
Ambassador
As nobody here works for Google, it's difficult to say with any certainty, although I agree with you that it does seem highly suspicious. I've heard no rumblings about this particularly type of "scam", although I wouldn't be entirely surprised if it were true. You might be better off trying to reach out to Google about this, since they are more likely to know further details. If anybody else around here has encountered the same thing, hopefully they'll speak up.
 
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