Scams and phishing attacks are nearly impossible to avoid. Whether it’s a call, a text, or an email, we all have to contend with these scams on a daily basis. Many of us are learning — sometimes through trial and error — just how many of the messages we receive are malicious. That’s why it’s important to be aware of new circulating fraudulent scams. For example, this week, PhoneArena reported on a new scam text that is making the rounds that every Verizon subscriber should know about.
Watch out for this Verizon scam text
In recent days, Verizon customers have been receiving texts that appear to be part of a new phishing campaign. The unsolicited messages tell the subscribers that as a reward for paying their September bills, they are receiving a gift. What follows is an incredibly suspicious link to an unknown website. If you fall for this scam and click the link, you might be asked to share your personal information, like your name, address, phone number, and social security number.
As PhoneArena explains, the bad actors responsible for this scam could use your information to steal your account. If they are able to do so, they could order phones that you will end up paying for. And trying to solve this problem after the fact is going to be a true nightmare.
PhoneArena notes that the person who received the text pictured above was immediately suspicious because it used their name despite the fact that the device was on a company account. Therefore, the account couldn’t have been in their name. And these are the kinds of tells for which you need to be on the lookout. Furthermore, if you cannot decide whether or not to respond to a message or click a link, just call the company in question. Call up Verizon customer service and tell them what you received. They’ll be able to tell you whether or not the text is genuine.
Anecdotally, we’ve seen the scammers upping their game in recent months. Last week, shortly after the massive Facebook outage, I actually received a text from an unknown number about the outage. It asked me to click some long, unrecognizable link to get my account back. If you aren’t careful, you will let your guard down and make a mistake that could seriously cost you. It’s the sad reality of modern communication, but double- and triple-check any call, text, or email you receive.
