Fake Text Alerts

Text alerts are a great tool for protecting your accounts but are also an open door for scammers.

Who Is It Targeting: Cell phone owners

What Is It: A phishing scam that tries to get you to click a link

What Are They After: Even just a handful of years ago, if you got a text message warning about your bank account, you might automatically think something suspicious was going on. Now, thanks to the great security tool of text alerts for your bank account and credit card accounts, scammers can entice you into clicking a link because of a warning message. No matter how genuine it might appear, never click that link.

How Can You Avoid It:

• Phishing scams work by getting you to open an attachment, click a link, or download some content; all of those can install harmful software on your device.
• If you get a message about a problem with your account, ignore the message but contact your financial institution immediately.
• Once the matter is resolved and reported, go back and delete the text message.

If you think you may be a victim of identity theft, contact the Identity Theft Resource Center for toll-free, no-cost assistance at (888) 400-5530. Find more information about current scams and alerts here. For full details of this scam check out this article from WSET.com.