#FAKE A TEXT CODE#
On the flip side, an unknown phone number that matches your own area code may belong to a scammer who is spoofing. Unknown Phone Numberīecause so many text-message spam hubs are offshore, be wary of numbers outside your area code, especially those outside the country. Then confirm that they sent you a text message. Only use the official phone number listed on the entity’s webpage to contact them. If you receive one, do not call any number in the text message, as it may belong to scammers. Financial Senderįinancial and government institutions very seldom send text messages. Additionally, avoid links with misspellings, numbers, or random symbols. At a minimum, make sure a link starts with HTTPS:// – if there is no “s,” it is not a secure link. That said, links are one of the most common ways smishers get your information. It’s not uncommon to receive a perfectly safe link in a text message – perhaps from a friend sharing a funny post. Check for strangely worded sentences, misspelled words, and confusing language in the text – if present, it’s likely a scam or smishing message. So, standard markers of fraudulent text messages are poor grammar and spelling errors. Many scammers set up shop offshore where the arms of our American laws can’t reach them. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
#FAKE A TEXT FREE#
It’s most likely a widespread scheme to get recipients to click on links and give their personal information (address, name, etc.) under the guise of shipping free items to you. Free StuffĪlways, always, always be wary of “free” stuff. Whenever text messages demand immediate action, it can be cause for concern. It may be an “act now or lose your chance to win” message or a “the IRS requires immediate action” message. Urgent ToneĪ popular scammer scheme involves a surprise text message urging recipients to “act fast” or face some consequences. Even if the message has your name in it, ask yourself, is the content extremely vague? Is it trying to get me to give information but not giving me any details in return? Is the caller ID a legitimate company name or something vague such as “Account Services”? If you can’t tell what it’s about, it’s best not to reply. Vague Contentīe wary if you receive a message with generic or extremely general content. But, if you haven’t entered a raffle or didn’t give out your cell phone number in that context, you should consider ignoring the message. For example, if you know you have entered a contest, it might make sense to receive a text message alerting you that you have won. Yes, sometimes unexpected messages happen, but they have a higher chance of being fraudulent text messages.Īdditionally, unexpected messages are equally suspicious.
Therefore, clicking on links from unknown text messages can pose as much a threat to you as smishing. The trouble with spam is that smishing often comes as a spam message. Spam can also be unwanted messages, for example, messages from a restaurant offering coupons or other “junk” content. Spam often invites recipients to click on a link. However, phishing uses emails, while smishing schemes utilize text messaging. Both phishing and smishing lead you to reveal personally identifiable information (PII), or protected health information (PHI), in an attempt to steal your assets or even your identity. Like phishing, smishing schemes try to gain your personal information by pretending to be a reputable source, like the IRS or a financial entity. Smishing is the text messaging version of phishing. When identifying fake text messages, you’ll want to look for two main types. The good news is that there are simple ways to identify whether a text message is fake. Both are annoying and can lead to personal data breaches by malicious bad actors.
The two text messaging schemes that affect cell phone users the most are known as smishing and spam. Getting a fake text message from scammers now and again seems to have become a part of modern life. 8 Simple Ways to Identify a Fake Text Message
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