Have you gotten a text message saying you owe money for unpaid tolls?
Perhaps youโve received a message saying your package delivery was cancelled due to a problem with your street address. Or maybe it was a text message from a bank reporting they locked your account due to suspicious activity.
If youโve noticed an uptick in these types of text messages, youโre not alone.
The Federal Communications Commission reports that these scam messages are a growing threat to consumers. The simple reason is that itโs a reliable consumer base. The FCC estimates that 86% of Americans own a cellphone โ and that 95% of the text messages sent to cellphones are read.
Just like phishing emails or robocalls that are sent to thousands of phone numbers or email addresses at once, these bogus โsmishingโ messages are sent to thousands of cellphones at the same time in hopes that someone will read the message, take the bait and respond.
Like robocalls, the phone number on the text message can be spoofed or changed to make it appear that the message is coming from a local phone number in order to trick you into opening and reading the message.
These schemes often work because scammers also play on your emotions to get you to engage. Like robocallers, a robotexter may try to scare you or make you believe there is a threat to your account or finances. They may pretend to be from a government agency or a business you know. Text messages may sound believable โ an unpaid bill, a problem with a bank account or law enforcement actions against you โ to get you to respond quickly without verifying that the information is valid.
These messages often contain links to a website or a telephone number making it easy to respond to the supposed problem. Unfortunately, if you click on the link or call the telephone number, youโll be connected to a website or login page that could look very real or with a scammer who claims to be from the business or government agency.
You may be asked to provide your address to redirect the package delivery, your bank account and routing information or credit card number to pay that unpaid toll or your account number and PIN to confirm your identity with the bank.
The scammer will then use the financial information you provide to drain your bank account or rack up charges on your credit card. Personal information, such as a Social Security number, can be used to commit identity theft or fraud in the future. There is also a risk that clicking on the link or website could launch viruses, malware or spyware onto your phone.
Some robotexts offer a contest or giveaway or say that you have won a prize. They tell you to fill out a form or provide some information to enter the contest or claim the prize. Job seekers may be targeted also with phony job offers that contain a link to an application to fill out.
Other phony text messages might look like the sender accidentally sent a message to you instead of the intended recipient. The message could contain someone elseโs name, talk plans to get together or a reminder to pick them up from the airport. It could be an honest mistake, but more likely it could be an attempt to get you to respond and let them know they have reached the wrong person. They may use your response to spark a conversation that could lead to โan amazing investment opportunityโ or other type of scam.
Here are some warning signs for smishing text messages:
รขยย Messages from unknown numbers not in your contact list.
รขยย Long phone numbers with more than the standard 10 digits.
รขยย Group messages sent to you by someone you donโt know that also include several other anonymous recipients.
รขยย Misspellings, which can be purposely to get around your phoneโs blocking or spam-filtering tools.
รขยย Messages from government agencies asking for payments.
รขยย Messages from companies or banks you donโt do business with already.
รขยย Links and websites to click on inside text messages.
รขยย Messages urging you to act quickly, respond immediately.
รขยย Any text message thatโs unexpected.
Hereโs what to do if you get a spam or robotext message:
รขยย Do not respond with a text message.
รขยย Donโt text โSTOPโ to stop receiving messages because this will alert the scammer that your number is active and youโll likely get more messages.
รขยย Verify any information in the message before acting. If the message looks like itโs from your bank, exit the text message, call customer service at the number on the back of your card or go to your mobile banking app and check your account there.
รขยย Donโt click on a link or call the phone number in the message.
รขยย Turn on your phoneโs security settings to filter messages from unknown sources or enable spam protection.
รขยย Block the number.
รขยย Forward unwanted messages to SPAM or 7726.
รขยย Robotexts and robocalls can be reported to the FCC at https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov.
To cut down on the number of text messages you receive from legitimate companies, check a companyโs privacy policy when they ask for your cellphone number. Find out how to opt out of text messages if youโd rather be contacted another way. You may have to uncheck a preselected box to do so. Read the fine print to determine whether they will be able to sell or share your phone number with other companies.
If you have a consumer question or would like to report a scam, contact the Consumer Protection Unit in Greenfield at 413-774-3186 or in Northampton at 413-586-9225 or visit our website, NorthwesternDA.org/consumer-protection-unit.
Anita Wilson is director of the Northwestern District Attorneyโs Office Consumer Protection Unit, which is a Local Consumer Program working in cooperation with the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General.