{"id":2317,"date":"2020-04-06T01:29:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-06T05:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beingbobblog.com\/?p=2317"},"modified":"2020-08-11T09:50:41","modified_gmt":"2020-08-11T13:50:41","slug":"how-to-identify-a-text-scam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beingbobblog.com\/happy-holidays\/how-to-identify-a-text-scam\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Identify a Text Scam"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"scam<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

With any new form of communication \ncomes the potential for scammers. Spam texts and text scams can be an \nunwelcome privacy intrusion and, if you fall for them, they could \npotentially create havoc in your life. SMS scams generally have the same\n goal: stealing your money by getting your personal information people \nacross the globe now have instant connection at their fingertips. Plus, \nthey\u2019re always evolving. The Better Business Bureau\u2019s Scam Tracker \nprogram added 47,567 separate text scams to its scam tracking program in\n 2019. Here\u2019s how to identify a spam text to protect yourself, your \nfriends and your family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4 ways to identify scam text messages<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Smishing, phishing that occurs over \nSMS, is often easy to spot when you know what you\u2019re looking for. If \nyou\u2019re trying to weed out spam and text scams from your message inbox, \nthese are the common warning signs that can tip you off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Abnormally long numbers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If a text message is legitimate, it\u2019s\n usually from a number 10 digits or less. Marketing messages are either \nsent from a six digit short code<\/a> or a 10-digit commercial long code<\/a>.\n If you get a text from a number that is 11 digits long, you can \nprobably assume you\u2019re getting a text scam. Receiving a spam text from a\n long number doesn\u2019t happen often, but if it does, be extra cautious \nbefore choosing to respond. In fact, this is probably a text you just \ndon\u2019t want to reply to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Family crisis texts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Receiving news of a family crisis is \nalarming. If you were to receive a text from a random number asking for \nhelp, you might be inclined to send money to an unverified destination \nin case it would help a loved one. Family crisis text scams use this \npsychology to trick recipients into thinking a family member is in \ndanger\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand that they need to send money to correct the situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When money is involved, err on the side of caution and proceed with skepticism. It\u2019s likely you\u2019re receiving an SMS scam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re unsure of the validity of a\n text, reach out to family members to ask whether they\u2019ve received the \nsame message. Additionally, if the text mentions someone by name, try \nreaching out to that person directly before responding to the original \ntext. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a family member truly is in trouble, contact the proper authorities instead of sending money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Text refund <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another common text scam comes in the\n form of a text refund. Basically, you\u2019ll receive a message saying that \nyou\u2019ve been overcharged for a service\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmany text scams use the guise of a\n phone service provider. The text will then offer to refund you, if you \nprovide your direct deposit information. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sounds great, right? Nope! If you \nsend your banking details over, whoever is scamming you will have access\n to your routing and account number and be able to steal from you. Never\n send banking information through unsecured means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Random prizes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Scammers have come up with a myriad \nof creative ways to get your personal information. One of these ways is \noffering up random prizes, including cash and material goods. The catch?\n You\u2019ll need to give your bank details, or other personal information, \nin order to claim the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153prize.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While text-to-win<\/a> contests are a legitimate form of text marketing<\/a>, be wary of receiving news that you\u2019ve won a contest you didn\u2019t even enter. Despite the thrill of receiving an offer that sounds too good to be true, restrain yourself. If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is. If you can\u2019t tell whether the offer is legitimate, call the company the contest is supposedly through and ask for verification. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10 Common text scams to watch out for<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There seem to be new text scams every\n day, but there are a few smishing techniques that are more popular than\n others. Here\u2019s a 2019 list of common text scams and spam text messages \nexamples to be wary of. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Wells Fargo text scam<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Wells Fargo has four official short \ncodes, so if you get a text claiming to be from the bank but not from \none of their official short codes. Don\u2019t respond, it\u2019s a phishing text. \nWells Fargo\u2019s verified short codes are: 93557, 93733, 93729 and 54687. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, be aware that Wells Fargo will \nonly ask to verify your identity if you\u2019ve initiated some sort of action\n such as signing into online banking. If you haven\u2019t done anything \nrelated to your banking that would prompt and identity check, it\u2019s \nprobably a text scam message. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can report a text scam message to\n Wells Fargo by copying and pasting the text message into an email \n(don\u2019t attach screenshots) and sending it to reportphish@wellsfargo.com<\/a>. If you\u2019ve accidentally responded to the text message scam, call Wells Fargo at 1-866-867-5568.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Uber code text scam<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many people have reported receiving \nmysterious and unsolicited text messages with Uber confirmation codes \ndespite not having recently signed up for the service. These occur when \nsomeone tries to create an Uber account with your text message. Phone \nnumbers must be verified via text message, which is when the \nconfirmation text is sent out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the text message is going to \nyou, and not the scammer, it is impossible for the scammer to confirm \nthe account and use your number. To end these text messages, reply \nSTOP. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Craigslist text scam<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s more than one Craigslist text\n scam going around out there. The online classified website is a popular\n ground for scammers looking for easy targets. Scammers on Craigslist \nare typically phishing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What often happens is that scammers \nwill send a text message saying you have notifications about a \nCraigslist post. Watch out for the domain. A common scam domain is \ncl-review.org, but there could be other domains that, like this one, \nlook somewhat similar to an actual Craigslist domain but aren\u2019t. Don\u2019t \nclick on any links that don\u2019t take you directly to Craigslist and \ndefinitely don\u2019t input any information on a site that isn\u2019t directly \nowned by Craigslist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Bank of America text scam<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Similar to the Wells Fargo text scam,\n with the Bank of America text scam the spammers will be sending you an \nillegitimate text message trying to get you to hand over personal \nbanking information. Don\u2019t respond to any text messages that ask for \npersonal information. You can report Bank of America spam text messages \nby emailing abuse@bankofamerica.com<\/a>. Include the number the spam text came from as well as what it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. FedEx text scam<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A popular text scam in 2019 is for \nthe scammers to imitate a brand like FedEx, telling you they need \nadditional information or money in order to deliver a package to you. \nFedEx does not require money transfer to third party or escrow service \nbefore they\u2019ll deliver a package, so if that\u2019s what the text message \nindicates then it\u2019s definitely a FedEx text scam. While shipping \nservices like FedEx can send legitimate automated SMS shipping updates<\/a>, they\u2019ll never ask for money or personal details before they deliver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, the scammers will threaten\n immediate action, such as suspension of your account, if you do not \ncomply with their demands. These spam text messages will usually include\n a link to a site that is not owned by FedEx. Don\u2019t click on these links\n or reply to these text messages. You can report them to FedEx by \nemailing abuse@fedex.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Paypal text scam<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Paypal is common territory for \nscammers looking to phish personal information over SMS message. The \nscammers will often tell you that your account is in danger of being \ndeleted unless you take certain actions. Or, they might ask you to \nprovide the tracking number of an item before you\u2019ve received payment \ninto your account. Remember, don\u2019t provide any sensitive information \nlike this unless you\u2019re directly on a secure version of the Paypal \nwebsite. Paypal won\u2019t ask you for information like your credit card \nnumber, bank account number or driver\u2019s license number over text \nmessage. You can report spam directly to Paypal at spoof@paypal.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Western Union text scam<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are several types of Western \nUnion SMS scams to be aware of. One of the most popular ones is a \ncharity scam where the scammer will ask for money to be sent to help \nvictims of an emergency. Keep in mind that legitimate charities don\u2019t \naccept donations through Western Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other common Western Union text \nscam is a smishing scam where the scammers will be trying to get \npersonal identification information from you to proceed with identity \ntheft. Don\u2019t provide any personal identification through text message \nand be wary of any links that redirect to web pages that look somewhat \n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153off.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh yeah, and if you get a text \nmessage offering you \u00e2\u20ac\u0153free money\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or a prize from Western Union if \nyou\u2019ll just enter some personal information \u00e2\u20ac\u201d that one\u2019s a scam too. \nThat\u2019s probably one of the most obvious spam text messages examples, but\n many people do legitimately fall for it each year, causing untold \npersonal heartache.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Walmart text scam<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most common Walmart spam \ntext messages examples is where the scammer will send a spam text \nclaiming that you\u2019ve won a free Walmart gift card. They\u2019ll ask you to go\n to a link and enter your personal information to claim your prize. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t remember entering the \ncontest, it\u2019s probably a scam. Definitely don\u2019t enter any personal \ninformation on websites like these. If you think the offer might be \nlegitimate, try to find contact information for the company who is \nrunning the contest. If you can\u2019t find any information, then it\u2019s \ndefinitely a scam. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another common Walmart text scam is \none where scammers invite you to take a survey about your experience at \nWalmart. You have to follow a link to a survey and input personal \ninformation in order to do so. Do not enter personal or account \ninformation on a site like this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, if you receive a text message\n with an online order confirmation about an order that you did not place\n through Walmart.com, this could be another text scam. Watch out for \nscammers who claim they just need some additional personal information \nor payment to deliver your order. A real order confirmation should \nprovide all the details about the order in the body of the message \nwithout requiring you to click any links. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Someone complimented you text scam<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The \u00e2\u20ac\u0153someone complimented you\u00e2\u20ac\u009d text scam went viral in 2018 with many people claiming it was linked to sex trafficking. The good news on this one is that it\u2019s actually not a scam, per se. It was a marketing attempt by an app company to get people to download their app. Unfortunately, it does appear that they texted many phone numbers without prior consent, which is not compliant with federal laws<\/a>. They did end up cancelling text invites because it was coming across as too spammy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think I sent my information to a scammer. Now what?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you received a message that you \nnow recognize as part of a scam, you still have options. If you\u2019ve given\n your information, consider the following tactics to regain financial \nsecurity and peace of mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n