In honor of my Caught Dead in Wyoming mystery series, my assistant Gabriella Samuels is writing for my newsletter and blog a series of consumer tips inspired by TV reporter Elizabeth Margaret Danniher.
“Hi, how are you?”
Many scammers use this text to trick potential victims.
One of the most prevalent methods scammers use to reach potential victims is through text message scams or “smishing.” These scams usually involve fraudsters pretending to be from trustworthy organizations like banks, delivery companies, or acquaintances.
A common tactic of scammers is to start a text with a familiar greeting like “Hello” or “It’s been a while.” These texts are designed to get you to click on malicious links, go to illegitimate websites, or reveal sensitive information like passwords, bank account details, or Social Security numbers.
There are many more texting tricks scammers use to steal information but here are some things you can do to protect yourself:
Don’t Click on Suspicious Links: Never click links in unsolicited texts, particularly those requesting personal or financial details.
Verify the Sender: For urgent texts or those requesting sensitive information, always contact the organization directly using verified contact information, rather than replying to the text.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): 2FA is an extra layer of security that makes it harder for scammers to access your accounts, even if they have your password.
Block Unknown Numbers: Mark unknown senders or mark them as spam and never reply to these messages.
Use Anti-virus Apps: Get an anti-virus application that has SMS filtering features that can help detect and block scam messages. Some messaging apps, such as Google Messaging already has this feature.
Report Scams: If you receive a scam text, report it to your mobile carrier or a relevant authority to help protect others.
Report any fraudulent activity to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.