One or two times each week I receive a text from a random phone number. The texts says “Hello” or something similar, just like in the picture I include here. You probably already know to NEVER respond to them. These texts are bait used to lure you into a conversation of some kind.
OR something like this…
But why are they doing this? Here’s the main things that can happen if you engage in conversation:
- They will know the phone number is legitimate… and will use this information to create ways to scam you.
- They may comment on how nice you are and give some suggestion of fate in meeting this way… and will eventually scam you.
- They mention a specific friend (everyone knows a John or Karen, right?)… and will use it to pretend you have a connection before inventing a way to scam you.
And there are many other text scams which I will highlight in future newsletters. Here are a few:
- They might include general information about a doctor’s appointment. If it looks suspicious, contact the doctor’s office through the normal method (phone, website, or mobile app)—do not use the link or phone number from the text. You can confirm with the authentic provider which numbers they use for texting and then insert them into your phone.
- The past due toll scam. It’s always a scam. Ignore it. You can log in to your toll pass provider’s website. If you rented a car, the rental company would not have given your phone number to the toll providers.
- The USPS / UPS / FedEx scams about a package amount due or a tracking number. Check your emails if you have any packages on the way and use the tracking numbers from the legitimate vendor.