Have you been getting any weird text messages lately – from yourself?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone and you probably don’t have an out-of-body experience. The latest trend in spam text messaging is mobile phone users receiving SMS from what appears to be their own phone number.
The messages typically pretend to be from the user’s cell phone provider, link to the recipient’s cell phone bill, and include a link to a “free gift.” Spoiler alert: According to users on Reddit and Reddit, the link instead leads to potentially harmful websites Twitter.
It’s all potentially very confusing. Here’s what you need to know about these spam texts and what to do about them:
Why am I getting this SMS?
“As part of a recent fraud scheme, bad actors sent text messages to some Verizon customers that appeared to be from the customer’s own number,” Verizon spokesman Rich Young said. “Since the scheme was uncovered, our company has made significant efforts to curb current activities.”
Noting a recent spike in spam text messages across all wireless carriers, Young said Verizon is “actively working with others in our industry and with US law enforcement agencies as part of an investigation aimed at identifying and stopping these scammers and their illegal activities.” “.
Robokiller, a company that makes a mobile app to block spam calls and text messages, said it tracked more than 5,000 incidents of the same number of spam text messages in the past week through Thursday.
According to Robokiller, typical versions of the spam texts include messages reading “Free message: Your bill is paid for March” along with a dubious link pretending to offer a free gift. In other cases, the spam message contains a link that purports to take the recipient to a Verizon survey, according to CNET.
A writer for The Vergine noted that clicking on the link in a particular message took the author to the website of Channel One Russia, a Russian government-run television channel. “We have no evidence of Russian involvement” in the spam texts, Young said.
An AT&T spokesperson told CNBC Make It, “We are closely monitoring this situation and have not seen anything similar on our network.” A T-Mobile spokesperson did not immediately respond to CNBC Make It’s request for comment.
What about other types of spam text?
The recent spam spam SMS with the same number comes amid a surge in total spam SMS sent to US cellphone customers in recent years.
Last year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) warned that spam texts have increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, with scammers taking advantage of more desperate Americans suffering from health or financial hardships. According to Robokiller, Americans received a total of 87.8 billion spam text messages in 2021, a 58% increase from the previous year.
Spam texts are often referred to as SMS phishing or “smishing” attacks, in which scammers try to trick wireless users into giving out personal information or clicking on malware-infested links. In some cases, spammers spoof your phone’s caller ID to make it appear that an SMS or call is coming from a local or government number, a practice known as “spoofing.”
In the case of spam SMS with the same number, it even seems possible for the “bad actors” to spoof the recipient’s own number – adding another layer to the process.
What can I do?
That’s what security experts suggest You should always be cautious about receiving calls or text messages from unidentified or unknown numbers.
The FCC adds that you “should never give out your personal or financial information by email, text message, or phone.” The Agency also advises against clicking any links or attachments you receive in a text message and calling your friend who will send you a link before clicking to make sure they haven’t been hacked.
Verizon offers similar advice for dealing with potential phishing attacks using suspicious text. The company says you shouldn’t reply to suspicious messages at all. Instead, Verizon advises customers to forward spam texts, particularly those claiming to be from Verizon, to SPAM (7726).
You can also report potential spam text messages and emails to government agencies and law enforcement agencies, including by completing the Federal Trade Commission’s online complaint form and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
According to experts, if you click on a malicious link, the best thing to do is to avoid entering any information and disconnect your device from the Internet as soon as possible. Then go into your device’s settings, look for apps you don’t remember downloading and delete them.
You can also use an antivirus app to scan your device for malware and change the passwords of any accounts you think may have been compromised. If you think your personal or financial information has been compromised, you can also freeze your funds for free to avoid potential identity theft.
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