Unfortunately, scammers are paying attention to these trends, too. That’s why they’re shifting to text messages as part of a new strategy to trap victims. Tap or click here to see one of their favorite tricks. Text message scams are on the rise, and it’s getting harder to tell them apart from real alerts sent by businesses and shipping services. If you want to keep your money and data safe this holiday season, here are some phony texts you need to watch out for.
New text message scams are taking shape
SMS phishing (also known as “smishing”) is becoming more common as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. A report from Digital Shadows shows a spike in malicious text messages with phishing links since April. The problem will only get worse as more people shop online during the holiday season. These text message scams all share a common tactic: impersonating real companies and services. Each text includes an urgent call to action message and a malicious link that takes you to a phishing website. If you enter personal or financial information on one of these sites, the data is sent back to the scammers running the campaign. To look even more legitimate, some of these scams will actually call you by your first name or reference your home address. If you’re wondering how the scammers got this information, it’s all thanks to data breaches. Tap or click here to see if your personal information is being bought or sold because of a data breach.
Know the signs
If you’re expecting real texts from delivery services or other companies, you might get confused if a scam text reaches your phone. Thankfully, there are a few major red flags that can help you spot the fakes before you get in trouble:
Spelling and grammar errors: Text message scams sometimes contain obvious spelling and grammar mistakes. This is because many of them are run out of foreign countries where English isn’t the primary language.Threatening or urgent-sounding language: Many text message scams give the impression that something bad will happen if you don’t respond. This can include frozen accounts, missing a delivery or financial trouble. Payment requests: Some scam texts say you need to pay a deposit or confirm your payment information. You should never give this information away or respond to any message that asks for this.Spoofed numbers: Scammers often spoof official phone numbers to mask their identity. The recent batch of scam texts use the following area codes: 917, 765, 646, 470, 347 and 332.
In addition to repeating area codes, many of the scams making the rounds use the same tricks over and over again. Here are the eight most common scams you’ll encounter by text message.
2. That USPS notification is a scam
3. FedEx didn’t really text you
You’ll then be asked to enter your information in order to claim a prize. Some variants of this scam ask you to confirm delivery. Both will ask for payment information that the website can steal. The phishing websites also have an unusual address that has nothing to do with FedEx — an easy red flag to check for.
4. Sometimes they don’t even say who they’re with
Besides big-name impersonators, there are plenty of fake delivery texts that don’t even tell you which service they’re from. Usually, these texts will feature a generic delivery alert along with a phishing link. One common variant uses broken English in the initial text, which can make it easier to spot: It should go without saying, but don’t click the link.
5. You’re not getting an iPhone 12
Who doesn’t want free stuff? Scammers are betting on it. This message claims you were selected as a beta tester for the new iPhone 12. From here, you’ll be asked to click a link and fill out your shipping address and payment information to get your new phone. Of course, no phone ever comes — and the website the text links you to is a phishing site. Interestingly, this scam rarely uses the correct name. Some researchers believe it’s trying to trick victims into thinking they’re getting a secret message intended for someone else. Tap or click here for more details on this weird Apple scam.
6. PayPal won’t text you like this
Millions of people rely on PayPal for online transactions, which is why account alerts are no laughing matter. Scammers are aware of this too, which is why they make fake PayPal alerts as urgent and scary as possible. If you get a fake PayPal text, it may include dangerous scenarios like breached accounts, incoming charges and fraud alerts. Of course, all of these threats are fake — but it’s still worth checking on your account to make sure everything is alright. Just make sure not to click the link from the text. Go to PayPal’s website yourself and log in.
7. Don’t bank on this CashApp text
These texts claim to come from CashApp, one of the most popular peer-to-peer payment and financial apps. The message describes some kind of incoming payment or issue with your account, and you are asked to confirm personal data if you click the link. This variant will sometimes use urgent language, in form of a large incoming payment, an expensive charge notification or a suspended account alert. Either way, the link will lead you to a phishing site.
8. This card notification is fraud
This scam variant is a bit more vague than the others. Usually, it’s a message describing an issue with a payment card or financial service like a bank. For added realism, the text may even include your name. And, like usual, clicking the link in the text will take you to a phishing site. This is why it’s so important to use your best judgment with every message you receive — even if it includes your real name or other personal information. Despite how many scams are circulating right now, most of these tactics aren’t new — especially delivery texts. This means they’ll be easy to spot if you know what to look for. Tap or click here for more information on these tricky delivery texts.
I fell for one of these scams! What should I do next?
If you gave out your information to one of these scammers, it’s not the end of the world just yet. If you act fast, there are a few ways you can protect yourself, your money and your data. Here’s what you should do:
If you gave out your payment information, call your bank or card issuer to let them know your card or account number was stolen. Ask them to mail you a new card and request that your old one is frozen. Make sure to ask that your account be monitored for fraud as well.If scammers already took money from you, tell your card issuer you were scammed. Ask if there are any fraud recovery options. Some financial institutions may be able to recover your lost money.Change any passwords you use for banking apps and set up two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized logins. Tap or click here to see how to activate 2FA for your bank apps.Check HaveIBeenPwned.com to see if any of your accounts were compromised in a data breach. Change the passwords for any compromised accounts.
You might be kicking yourself for getting tricked, but there’s a reason these scams keep popping up — they work. Most of the time, victims don’t even realize they’re getting scammed when it happens. Watch for the signs, and delete those texts! Tap or click here to see how much hackers are selling your stolen data for on the Dark Web.
