If you are like everyone else, you're tired of getting random text messages that seem a little sketchy.
Chances are that your first instinct is correct and it’s usually a fishing message with a link.
”They usually get some offer,” said Abhijit Nag, assistant professor of Computer Information Systems at Texas A&M University-Central Texas. “Maybe a particular product with a comparatively lower price than the market. So, it attracts the customer to click the link and it goes to a fishing website and not a genuine forum.”
The problem is some of the fake websites look real and that can be very dangerous to consumers.
”So, they may end up providing some sensitive data that a hacker can use for their own illegal purposes,” said Nag.
It wouldn’t be hard to believe that the number of robocalls and scam text messages reported to companies like AT&T was in the millions, but the real number is even more shocking.
”One billion robocalls a month, which is certainly an eye-popping number, and those scams are coming in via text now even more,” said Lynette Aguilar, VP & GM for North Texas AT&T. “In fact, our text messages, the spam ones, now surpass robocalls and we’re seeing 15-billion spam texts.”
That is 15 billion scams via text to AT&T customers reported nationwide for September alone.
That’s why companies like AT&T are asking customers to block and report any robocalls or scam texts.
”It’s going to take everybody fighting together,” said Aguilar. “From a company perspective, from a government perspective, as well as individuals.”
It starts with blocking the calls and texts when they come in.
”So, everybody I would encourage, regardless of your carrier, make sure that you are using that call blocking software that comes through your provider,” said Aguilar. “Again, free from us, to make sure that is an added Layer of protection.”
It’s also very important that you don’t click on any suspicious links that come via text.
Information on how to block spam texts can be found on your mobile carrier's website.
