Every few months, a new scam pops up that seems to be everywhere. In the past few weeks, BBB Scam Tracker has received numerous reports of a text message scam that attempts to trick people with the promise of a “free gift.”
Here is how the scam works: You receive a text message that says something like this: “Your bill is paid for March. Thanks, here’s a little gift for you.” This message is followed by a link to an unfamiliar website.
The text doesn’t specify what bill you paid, what company the message is coming from or what the total amount was. Even more disturbing, the message may be a group text sent to a dozen or more other people, none of whom are in your contacts list.
The text isn’t from a real company. The goal is to get your personal information, which puts you at risk for identity theft.
In some versions of the scam, you may be directed to a website asking you to “confirm your identity,” so you can receive the gift. Scammers also might ask for credit card information, claiming you need to pay a few dollars to ship the “free” gift.
The Better Business Bureau offers these tips for avoiding text scams:
• Don’t click on links from strangers. In fact, be wary of suspicious links forwarded to you by friends, too. Even well-meaning friends may forward suspicious links without realizing they’ve been scammed….
