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Oct 8, 2024 · Pop quiz: How many times has someone tried to scam you today? Beyond the spammy emails and phone calls, take a look at your texts. Chances are, there are a few scam text messages mixed in—and ...
- Sage Lazzaro
Here’s how to tell a real text message from a scam – even if the con artist is posing as a business you know and trust. Scammers love phishing schemes, but they aren’t just limited to emails ...
- The Message Is Not Specifically For You
- It's Chock Full of Spelling and Grammatical Errors
- The Message Promises Freebies
- The Message Demands Immediate Action
- It Contains Mysterious Links
- The Message Is from A Bank Or Some Other Financial Institution
- It's Come from An Unusual Number
It's pretty likely that you exchange text messages with a relatively small group of people — friends, family and co-workers. Most people don't get a lot of "cold call" texts from people they don't know, so a message from someone you don't know, or a simple "Hello" directed to no one in particular, is a big red flag. A group message or a text that d...
For whatever reason, spammers who specialize in sending fake messages seem especially bad at grammar and spelling. That's good news for us, because any text purporting to come from a large, legitimate business will ensure its texts are letter perfect. If you get a text that has obvious errors and it's not from a close friend, you can assume it's fa...
Sweepstakes, giveaways and prizes are the stock and trade of the modern marketing industry, so just because you get a text that promises free stuff, that doesn't automatically imply you've gotten a fake test. But there's a good chance it's spam — look for the context clues. If you've been told you have already won, and you simply need to complete s...
One common trick that spammers and fraudsters use is to install a sense of urgency in their message — whether it's to convince you that the message is coming from a friend who needs immediate financial assistance, the IRS looking for a missing payment, or a company warning that you have a problem with your car, house, or some other asset and need t...
Fraudulent texters and spammers try to disguise themselves, so they might include unidentified links in their messages. Never tap a link that doesn't come from someone you know — the link could lead to a phishing site or contain malware. In fact, you can generally assume any text you get from an unknown party that has mysterious links is probably f...
As a general rule, financial institutions don't contact customers via text message, and those that do won't ask for personal details or demand payments that way. Often, spammers won't know who you bank with, so you might get text messages from a bank you don't even have an account with. If they get lucky, though, and spam you with a text from a fin...
Finally, beware of texts from unknown parties — either phone numbers you don't recognize or, worse, lengthy numbers that don't conform to the standard usual 10-digit domestic phone number convention. Texts from international numbers or automated systems can generate these awkward numbers and they are tell-tale signs that you're getting something fr...
- Henry Blodget
Delete the text so there’s no chance you will accidentally click the link; Do not reply to any texts that you suspect may be a scam; Never reply to anyone over text with personal, confidential, or financial information to “verify” identity; Follow us on Facebook, where we often share real-life examples of scam-texts (like the ones above)
2 days ago · Emergency text scams are the prime example of how human emotions can be manipulated. Texts from your own number; Probably the strangest of all text scams are the messages that appear to come from your own number. Scammers are spoofing users’ phone numbers and sending various messages, hoping to get your attention.
Jun 6, 2023 · The fake family member text scam. A scammer will message you pretending to be a family member who needs urgent help due to a medical or legal emergency. They’ll ask you to wire them money or send a Venmo or Cash App transfer to help. They’ll also ask you not to call them. The fake hospital/police text scam.
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Jan 16, 2024 · 5 tips to identify fake text messages or text scams. While each text scam looks a little different, there are some common hallmarks you can look out for to spot a fraud. We checked out pages from the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission to bring you the best information on avoiding text scams. 1. Unusually long numbers
