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Oct 8, 2024 · Bank of America: “Recognizing Fraud FAQs”. Federal Trade Commission: “That text about overdue toll charges is probably a scam”. Federal Trade Commission: “Job scams”. Federal Trade ...
- Sage Lazzaro
- Phony phone number: Scammers often try to impersonate well-known companies or the government in text message scams, but they’ll use a phony phone number.
- Unsolicited message: You might receive a text message that claims there was a problem delivering a package to your home. You should first ask yourself, “Am I expecting a package?”
- Urgent tone or excitement: Scammers will often use an urgent tone or try to create a sense of excitement in their text messages. They might claim that you’ve won a prize, promise free gift cards or coupons, or warn you about an account allegedly being deactivated.
- Spelling and grammar errors: A legitimate company will typically hire professional writers and editors for business communications. If you notice strange phrasing, or spelling and grammar errors, a scammer is probably sending the message, the BBB says.
Sep 19, 2023 · Text message scams, also known as “smishing” attempt to trick you into sharing your financial or personal information. Scam texts often look likely they’re from an organization you know and trust (like a bank, delivery company, government agency or health company), giving you a false sense of security. They’ll typically contain a link ...
- Carolyn Mcginn
- Consumer Content Marketing Manager
- 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
Jan 16, 2024 · 1. Unusually long numbers. Legitimate SMS marketing messages are usually sent from a 6-digit short code (like 711711), a 10-digit toll-free phone number (ex: 844-462-2554), or a local text-enabled business phone. If you receive a text message from an unidentified 11-digit number, the odds are high that it’s a scam.
Jun 8, 2023 · If you think a text might be legit, contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real. Don’t use the information in the text message. Report text scams. Forward them to 7726 (SPAM). This helps your wireless provider spot and block similar messages. And if you spot a text scam, the FTC wants to hear about it.
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Oct 10, 2024 · Wrong number of digits. SMS text messages generally come from 10-digit numbers. However, some marketing and political messages come from a five- or six-digit shortcode (you can check https://usshortcodedirectory.com to ensure the one you received is legit). Something from an 11-digit phone number is likely to be a scam.
