How to Spot Suspicious Text Messages

You hear your phone's text notification, and your initial reaction is that of excitement. After all, you probably receive fewer text messages these days, given that most of your communication is done via social media apps. The sender could be someone special. You could be in for a lovely surprise. This article will show you on how to spot suspicious text messages and how to avoid them. 

You see the unknown sender in your inbox. You open the message. It tells you you've won something you never registered for. Yes, you're being scammed. Understandably, your excitement is quickly replaced with irritation. 

SMS messaging is a powerful and accessible tool for communication, with 5 billion users worldwide. That makes any of these users an easy target for people wanting to profit from an unsuspecting victim's naiveté. Do not fall prey to these hackers and scammers. Look out for the following red flags to avoid SMS scams. 

 

You won something

It feels great to win something. But if you did not join any contests or you don't remember sending raffle entries anywhere, there's no reason to believe the universe will reward you simply for existing. That is, even if living in these difficult times indeed deserves a reward.

That text message informing you that you won a trip to The Bahamas is probably a trip to scamland, and that's not a place you want to go. Ignore the message and never send your personal details to claim your "prize." 

 

Links to "supposedly" legitimate sites

Phishing is one of the go-to tactics for scammers. While most phishing scams happen via email, some find their way to your SMS inbox too. 

An example of a phishing scam is when you receive a message from your bank. The sender will direct you to a supposedly legit link where you need to update your banking details. Once you click that link and input your details, including your password, the scammer has gotten hold of your banking information. They can then do whatever they want with your account, including depleting your funds. 

You can call your bank when you receive those kinds of messages. Ask them if there's a need to update your information. Inform them that someone is masquerading as a representative of the bank to scam others

 

Branding inconsistency

The devil is in the details. While it's now easy for scammers to appear legit, thanks to Photoshop and other tools that allow them to copy a brand's branding, such as the logo, you can still spot minor inconsistencies that give them away. 

As for SMS scams, look for brand voice inconsistency. If you regularly receive communication from your favorite brands, you likely know how they compose their messages, from the greeting they use to how they sign off a correspondence. Anything out of the ordinary should alert you. Message the business via official channels to make sure. 

Random delivery notice

There is where you receive a notice about a parcel. You're either the supposed sender or receiver. If the SMS claims you're the sender, but you know you did not send anything to anyone, ignore this message. The opposite scenario might be trickier. It's always possible that someone indeed sent a parcel your way, and if the text message has your name and address, you might get convinced of its legitimacy.

However, no courier service will ask for your credit card details or additional payment to process your parcel. Those are the red flags you need to be wary of.  

Other narratives scammers use to potentially make money from you include messages about family emergencies, refund notices, and reactivation requests. 

 

Unusual numbers

Brands use SMS marketing to reach customers. They typically use 10-digit numbers or shortcodes. Messages from abnormally long numbers are doubtful, so do not respond to those. Better yet, block them ASAP. You can also report these numbers to your respective phone providers since they have their own processes for dealing with security and scam texters on their platforms. 

 

Spelling and grammar errors

Brands have a budget for writers and editors. They want their correspondence to look professional; therefore, they won't allow spelling and grammar errors to appear in the official messages they send to clients and customers. That won't look good on them. 

Be wary of those errors. Chances are, some tech-savvy person composed the message. That person probably failed English. 

 

Be wary of these red flags

The next time your phone notifies you of a text message, there's nothing wrong with feeling giddy about the possibilities. It could be your one true love finally professing their intention. At the same time, keep a healthy degree of suspicion, so you don't get disappointed or, worse, scammed. 

Anyone privileged enough to use technology should stay cautious and responsible. While you likely want to keep your faith in humanity, remember that there are people with bad intentions, too. And once you let them in, they won't think twice about pilfering whatever they can get from you. 

The first step to protecting yourself is familiarizing the usual tactics employed by those hackers and scammers. Take to heart the red flags included in this list.