Your Money
If you recently got an unexpected text about a gift, an account freeze, or even just someone unknown saying “hi,” it’s probably from a fraudster.
Robocalls are still a thing, but text spam has boomed, and the attacks are becoming sophisticated. Like robocalls, the number you see as the sender isn’t necessarily where the text comes from, sometimes mirroring your area code to seem less suspicious. Text scams are particularly dangerous because we have grown accustomed to receiving robotexts for legitimate purposes and may voluntarily give away non-public information.
Here are some quick tips:
- Be on the lookout; if it says "urgent," it's likely a lure.
- Don't click or download anything. Criminals want your personal financial information.
- If you receive a suspicious text from an unfamiliar source, never text back because it confirms your number is active. Report the text & block the sender.
- Mark unknown messages as "spam" or "junk," so it will automatically filter the unknown senders to trash.
- Try a filtering app that goes beyond your phone's basic ability.
Avoid further damage by using a password manager to create and store long, unique passwords and set up multifactor protection for all of your accounts that offer it.
Spam Texts Are Surging. Here’s How to Avoid Being Swindled.
by Nicole Nguyen
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