5 Texting Scams You Must Avoid at All Costs
Written by
Cynthia Measom
Edited by
Ashleigh Ray
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Your phone can feel like a whole world inside your palm. It’s your access to the news, your way of keeping connected with friends and family and, of course, a deep reservoir of entertainment. (Those cat videos won’t watch themselves). You don’t want to imagine that your phone could be also a portal to your financial peril or identity theft.
Unfortunately, the prevalence of text message scams means that your phone isn’t a completely safe space. Worse, fraudsters are getting more creative and skilled in their attempts to scam people out of their money. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had to issue an alert about scammers impersonating representatives from the federal government conning consumers out of millions in cash — $20 million in cash during the first quarter of 2024.
And that’s just one kind of scam to watch out for. That text cautioning you about an account that’s been compromised or from a company where you regularly shop may not be exactly what it seems. GOBankingRates broke down a few of the text scams you should watch out for.
Amazon Text Message Scam
As part of this scam, you’ll receive a text message stating it’s from Amazon. It also will state that there is a problem with your Amazon account and prompt you to verify your personal information by clicking the provided link.
Of course, the link is not from Amazon and any personal information you provide will be delivered to a scammer. Remember, don’t click on any links you haven’t specifically requested.
Government Impersonators
Getting a notice from the government can be scary — and that fear is only compounded when the language of that notice includes words like “urgent” or “serious.” At least, this is what scam artists are banking on when they send text messages impersonating the government.
According to the FTC, scammers can impersonate entities ranging from local police to federal agencies. While the details of these messages vary, there are some common themes — namely, the demand to resolve an urgent problem by sending or transferring money. These texts are designed to get recipients so anxious that they don’t stop to think and just whip out their wallets.
As the FTC explained, government agencies will never call, email, text or send messages on social media to ask you for your information or your money. And the government will never demand a payment over text.
PayPal Text Message Scam
During a PayPal scam, scammers send text messages claiming to be from PayPal to alert you that there is an issue with your account. You will be prompted to either call a phone number or click a link to resolve the issue.
Unfortunately, either action will expose you and your personal information to the scammers.
According to the PayPal security team, you can spot these messages because they often start with impersonal greetings like, “dear user.” They also feature typos or other errors, along with URL addresses that are potentially scrambled or otherwise suspect.
If you’re ever unsure about a message, go to the customer service website and contact them directly to verify whether the message is legit.
Two-Factor Authentication Text Message Scam
Two-factor authentication is a way to keep scammers and hackers from accessing your account even when they have your username and password. So, the object of this scam is to get you to give up your authentication code.
Typically, you’ll receive a text appearing to be from a company or service you do business with that states it has detected suspicious login activity on your account, which will be locked unless you can prove you are the owner.
The text will state that once you receive your two-factor authentication code to recover your account, you should text it as a reply. But once you do, the scammer will have access to your account.
It’s important to note that you will never be asked for your two-factor authentication code by a security team through a text or otherwise.
UPS Text Message Scam
For this scam, fraudsters send a text notifying you about a UPS delivery for your address, complete with fake tracking numbers, that was missed and needs to be rescheduled. The text will then prompt you to click a link to set a new delivery date.
If you click that link, several things could happen, such as your phone being infected with malware or being routed to a phishing site, which will ask you for personal information (including your name, address, credit card information and Social Security number).
When it comes to your money, it’s better to be safe than sorry, so update your account passwords regularly, monitor your transactions and be careful the next time you receive a text that looks official at first glance.
Laura Bogart contributed to the reporting for this article.
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