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3 days ago · A text message scam, also known as smishing (SMS phishing), is an attempt to steal money or information via text. Scam texts that rely on social engineering schemes, which fool you into thinking that a scammer is a trusted entity or person, are called “fake texts.”
Oct 8, 2024 · Wells Fargo: “Five steps to avoid phishing scams. Bank of America: “Recognizing Fraud FAQs”. Federal Trade Commission: “That text about overdue toll charges is probably a scam”. Federal ...
- Sage Lazzaro
Apr 19, 2024 · As Apple points out in a support document entitled About Apple threat notifications and protecting against mercenary spyware, the company “sends an email and iMessage notification to the email addresses and phone numbers associated with the user’s Apple ID.”. Moreover, “A Threat Notification is displayed at the top of the page after the ...
Jan 2, 2024 · It can be alarming when you're browsing a website and a pop-up appears warning you of an iPhone virus. Fake Apple virus warnings, messages, and Apple security alerts are scams designed to get you to call or tap on a link. Fake Apple virus warnings are dangerous, so follow the steps below on how to safely stop these scams by turning on pop-up blocker settings.
- Leanne Hays
- 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
Apr 8, 2024 · Time needed: 2 minutes. Turn on the filter for unknown senders. Open the Settings app. Scroll down and select the Messages app. Tap on the Message Filtering section. Turn the toggle for Filter ...
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Oct 10, 2024 · For iPhone: go to Settings > select Messages > filter unknown senders. For Android: go to Messaging app > tap the upper right three dots > choose settings > select spam protection. Not replying. When you get a text that says “reply STOP”, DO NOT REPLY! When you reply to a smish, it confirms your phone number is valid.
