Norah receives an SMS alerting her of a bank withdrawal.
She’s surprised. She hasn’t made any bank transactions today.
What should Norah do?
- Immediately contact her bank and alert them of suspicious activities
- Call the number attached to the text message
- Sit and do nothing. Hackers can’t get to her account.
If you choose the first option, ding ding ding, you get a prize.
This article teaches you how to identify fake text messages.
But we won’t stop there.
We’ll show you how to prevent scam messages and what to do after you receive a fake SMS.
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What do fake text messages look like? 10 examples of scams and fake messages
Spam text messages are not new, but this scam method is constantly spiralling. Why?
These days, people are more likely to respond to text messages than emails or phone calls.
So, how do you identify fake text messages?
The first step is knowing how fake text messages look like.
Check these examples out.
Covid-19 scam SMS
Covid19 scams like this were rampant at the height of the lockdown.
People reported cases of spam text messages informing them of Covid19 relief funds or relief items.
The scams mostly came like the image above. The catch is that you click the link, leading you to a scam website where hackers might access your personal information.
Fake company SMS
This SMS has several red flags.
First, Amazon would never send a text message to inform you of a refund.
It is advisable to avoid text messages asking for your personal banking information.
When in doubt about fake texts like the ones mentioned earlier, immediately contact the company via their verified email or phone number on their website. Not the ones used to send the suspicious SMS.
Raffle draw SMS
This type of fake text message is easy to identify.
Call us sceptics, but a text message like this, informing you about winning a raffle should immediately raise your suspicions.
Your alarm bells should go off if you haven’t played raffles recently.
This text message is likely a scam that leads you to a website where hackers take your personal information.
Dating scam SMS
This SMS should leave you instantly suspicious if you haven’t signed up for a dating program.
Be wary of clicking the link in this message, as it could lead to a phishing site.
On these sites, hackers can access your personal information or download malware onto your device.
Customer loyalty scam
Be wary of SMS from random numbers, not a company’s official number.
Text messages that come as monetary rewards after you click on a link are generally not to be trusted.
Debit/credit card scam
This is the most common type of fake text message.
If you receive a suspicious message like this, contact your bank immediately.
Do not call the number attached to the SMS. If you do, the hackers will try to get your personal information.
Once they get your account details, they will attack your account, and you’d lose all of your life savings in the blink of an eye.
Login alerts scam SMS
This message might get you worked up immediately.
After all, if suspicious activity is on your account, you want to block all access immediately.
But hold on.
Before you click that link, you must ensure it’s from an authorised source.
Government SMS scam
Cybercriminals know that people are more likely to respond to messages from the government.
These government text messages may come in different formats, but they want you to engage with their fake text messages.
You can identify this as a fake text message because;
- The website attached is not a legitimate government website.
- You didn’t apply or hear about an Energy Bills Support Scheme.
Bitcoin SMS scams
This is another easy-to-identify fake text messages.
Cryptocurrency is a big thing now, and scammers are taking advantage of it.
If you receive this type of bitcoin SMS, watch out for three things.
- You never signed up for a cryptocurrency service.
- The message asks you to click on a link.
- The message promises you will acquire big money quickly.
2FA scam messages
If you receive this type of message, it means that someone already has your password and this person is trying to access your account.
This scammer calls you or sends another SMS to get this 2FA code from you.
As soon as you receive this message, go to your browser, type in the official address for the website, and change your login details.
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How to identify a fake text message
Identifying a fake SMS is more challenging than looking up the website URL.
However, we’ve helped you with practical tips on how to identify a fake text messages.
Web address
vulcanpost.com
With spam text messages, one of the first telltale signs is suspicious websites.
Scammers use variants of Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) addresses to fool you into thinking you’re visiting an official website.
Urgent response
Scam messages usually urge you to take immediate action.
Watch out for SMSes that ask you to call a number immediately or click a link within a stipulated time.
Poor grammar
Messages like this make big promises and claim to be from official sources. But they are usually represented in poor grammar.
Lack of relevance
Think about it.
If you’re expecting something other than FedEx deliveries, why would you get an urgent message from the company?
It is just a decoy for you to click the link.
Incorrect branding
Watch out for incorrect branding in these messages.
For example, instead of “Amazon”, your text message might have “Amizon”. It is a telltale sign that scammers are at work.
What will happen if you respond to or open a fake text message?
Your first call to action after receiving a suspicious SMS is blocking the number.
Do not, we repeat, do not click on any links, call the number attached, or even respond ‘NO’ to the number.
If we don’t have you scared enough, take a deep dive at possible things that can happen when you open a fake SMS;
- Hackers can access your personal information.
- You might download viruses and malware onto your phone.
- Scammers will continue contacting you because you’ve confirmed that your number is functional.
What should you do when you receive a fake SMS?
Fake SMSes are inevitable, no matter how careful you are.
Take these steps when you receive fake SMSes.
- Mark the message as spam. You can do this quickly through your device settings. Marking the message as spam will block all future messages from the same sender.
- Forward the message to 7726 (SPAM). Your wireless provider will be able to block similar messages in the future. And you’d be doing a huge service to other potential targets.
- Report the message on the FTC to help fight fraud.
- Block the sender and ensure not to click on any links in the message or call any numbers. Don’t even respond to the message. Just block the number and be done with it.
What should you do if you opened, clicked on, or responded to a spam text message?
giphy.com
Did you click on a scam SMS?
Yikes.
But don’t worry. Ensure to take these steps if you accidentally click on, open, or respond to spam texts.
- Change your passwords immediately. To be safe, change the passwords to all crucial websites. Remember to make your passwords complicated, and avoid repeating the same passwords on multiple sites.
- Switch off mobile data and all internet connections. Hackers can access your phone and send data from your device. Stop this by disconnecting from the internet.
- Perform a virus and malware scan. It will protect you from links you have clicked and harmful malware you might have downloaded.
How can you protect yourself from text scammers?
Scammers are getting smarter every day, and internet fraud is hitting an all-time high.
What can you do to protect yourself from these people out to get you?
- Don’t respond to suspicious SMSes.
- Don’t give out your phone number on suspicious websites or social media.
- Learn how to spot a fake website.
- Don’t click on links in suspicious text messages.
- Type your bank’s website address in your browser rather than following a link.
- Use your phone settings to filter unknown messages.
- Only call back official and verified phone numbers of the company.
- Delete scam messages as soon as you receive them.
- Stay updated on the latest scamming tricks.
- Use strong passwords, and avoid reusing the same password for different websites.
Send SMS to your customers with confidence
SMS is one of the most popular methods of communication.
The reason SMS scams are so rampant and why the FTC reported more than double the number of scam SMS complaints in 2021.
How can you protect yourself from these cyber criminals?
Looking for the best bulk SMS providers that won’t leave your customers questioning your legitimacy? Learn all about our bulk SMS services.
FAQ
When you receive a scam SMS, please do not respond by clicking on any links or calling any numbers it comes with. And do not reply to the message with any prompts. Just mark the message as spam and delete it from your inbox.
Fake SMSes usually come in the guide of suspicious gifts/rewards, and there is an urgency to the messages. Be careful if you receive a text message urging you to claim a package you know very little about. It could be another spam text message.
Hackers can lure you to a harmful website when you click a link in a fake text message. They can also deceive you into giving them your bank details. This is why you must never interact with a suspicious text message.
Copy the message and send it to 7726 (SPAM). Or, mark the message as spam and delete it from your inbox.
Yes, you can.
From your iPhone settings, head to Messages, scroll down to Message Filtering and turn on Filter Unknown Senders.
On your Android device, open your Messages app and then Settings. Here, enable Spam Protection.
Yes. Immediately you receive text messages. From people disguised as your bank or strange withdrawal messages, contact your bank.
They will inform you on what to do next to protect your account.
You can, as long as you report to the appropriate authorities and take immediate action.
When scammers see that your line is active and that you read their scam SMSes, they will continue sending these messages.
The best thing to do is delete these SMSes without opening them.
Scammers may get your number from social media, logs, and any other place you put your number.
It’s always a good idea to be wary of how you give out your personal information.
Yes, scammers can infect your phone with malware/viruses when you follow the link to a harmful website
Yes, it is illegal in any country to send fake text messages.
Fake text messages are not directly traceable to a physical location or an individual. The numbers are often used to maintain anonymity.
But it is possible to trace spammers if the text service they use is reputable. Such services will be able to provide user information, including IP address and relevant account details. However, such a process will require legal action and the cooperation of the SMS service providers addresses
