Scammers love phishing schemes, but they aren’t just limited to emails. A new text message scam seems so innocent that it’s tempting to reply. But con artists are using phony “wrong number” texts to lure victims into conversation and falling for a scam.
How the Scam Works
You receive a text that reads something like this: “Hey is this John? It’s Amanda. We chatted on Tinder before when I came to visit my cousin, but we never met girl. I’m back in town if you want to meet up this time, are you free?”
If you reply to a text like this, even with a polite, “Sorry, wrong number,” the stranger responds anyway, seemingly ignoring your answer. Usually, you’ll receive a few compliments and some photos of “Amanda,” who appears to be a scantily clad blonde woman. However, as the word gets out about this scam, scammers will change up the names, backstory, and photos.
If you continue to engage with the stranger, who is really a chat bot, it tries to trick you into registering for dating or adult websites. Your new “friend” will encourage you to sign up for a specific website to see more explicit photos, which may involve offering up your credit card number. Considering the dubious nature of this scam, if you hand over your credit card information at any point, you could be putting yourself at risk for fraudulent charges and identity theft.
Even BBB staff has received these texts. “I did a double-take,” says Pam Anson, Director of Brand Outreach for BBB Serving Greater Cleveland. “It’s a different approach than most scammers take, and I didn’t think anything too seriously until more of my friends started to say that they also received it… It’s obvious that the scammers are trying to elicit a response, such as sympathy, to this woman for receiving a fake number from a friend, but we need to remind consumers that appearances can be deceiving.”
How to Avoid Chat Bot Scams
Source: BBB.org
For more information, read more about similar scams, such about text messages with surprise offers or mandatory COVID-19 tests.
If you’ve been the victim of a text message scam, report it at BBB.org/ScamTracker. Your report can help expose scammers’ tactics, so others won’t fall prey. To find trustworthy businesses, go to https://www.bbb.org.
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