Four common text scams and how to spot them
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The most commonly reported type of text scam was mail carrier impersonations, per the FTC. Photo by Osmancan Gurdogan/Anadolu via Getty Images
Text scams have grown exponentially over the past few years.
Why it matters: These scams have gotten harder to identify, and more costly — last year, consumers reported losing $470 million to scams that began with text messages, per the Federal Trade Commission — five times the amount in 2020.
Here are some to watch out for:
1. Unpaid tolls and traffic tickets
The big picture: State governments across the U.S. have reported a rise in scam texts about unpaid tolls or traffic violations.
- States that have issued alerts include New York, California, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Florida, New Jersey, Georgia, Colorado, Vermont, Texas, and North Carolina.
- The exact nature of these scams varies state-by-state, but they typically threaten the suspension of vehicle registration and driving privileges and include links to submit a payment.
Those scams extend to claims about specific toll collection systems as well.
- 17 states use E-Z Pass, for example, and some of them, including New York, New Hampshire and Virginia, have warned residents about phishing attempts.
What they're saying: Steve Grobman, the Chief Technology Officer for McAfee, told a local North Carolina ABC affiliate that people should avoid clicking on any links in these texts.
- "It's either your personal information that can then be sold on the dark web, or in some cases it's more direct where they're trying to get your credit card or debit card," he said.
- "They can try to use that to make a purchase and ultimately you're then stuck fighting that with your credit card or debit card company on the other side."
2. Package deliveries
State of play: The most commonly reported type of text scam was mail carrier impersonations, the FTC said in its April report.
- Scammers send alerts about supposed issues with impending deliveries, the agency said.
- FedEx, UPS, and the USPS have all put out warnings against impersonation scams.
FedEx said "unexpected requests for money in return for delivery of a package," "requests for personal and/or financial information," and "links to misspelled or slightly altered website addresses" were all red flags to watch out for.
- The USPS said "common lures include 'your account has been suspended', 'there is suspicious activity on your account', 'there is a problem with your shipping address' and 'there is a package waiting for you at the Post Office.'"
3. Phone providers
Some people have reported text scams in which people impersonate phone service providers.
AT&T, for instance, put out a notice in April warning customers about "AT&T Rewards scams," in which scammers infiltrate AT&T accounts "so they can make changes, order equipment, or steal personal information.
- The company gave this example of a scam message: "www.att620.com - Simply sign in to your account to redeem your $620. At AT&T we care about you. Thank you and have a nice day."
Across the internet, people have also reported text scams from people impersonating Verizon representatives.
Flashback: This type of phone provider scam has existed for the last few years.
- The New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell in 2023 put out a notice warning residents about scammers "impersonating Verizon Wireless technical support and fraud agents using spoofed Verizon Wireless phone numbers and SMS text messages."
4. Job offers
The FTC also said that phony job opportunities are common.
How it works: "Task scams" involve promises of online work "requiring people to complete a series of online tasks and end up with requests for people to invest their own money," the agency says on its website.
- In a note to consumers, the New York Department of State warned that people should be wary of potential employers who request personal information prior to an interview, offer to hire you without an interview or meeting, or ask you to download any applications.
- "Don't trust anyone who says they'll pay you to rate or like things online. That's illegal and no honest company will do it," the FTC said in December.
What to do about text scams
The FTC advises people to report suspicious messages.
- Forwarding messages to 7726 (SPAM) helps wireless providers spot and block similar messages.
- You can report messages as spam on either the Apple iMessages app or Google Messages app for Android users.
- You can also report directly to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
The FTC also has advice on how to avoid accidentally giving a scammer your information.
- "Never click on links or respond to unexpected texts," the agency's website reads. "If you think it might be legit, contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real. Don't use the information in the text message."
- You can also filter unwanted texts before they hit your inbox.
