Criminals want you to be a victim of their text scams, but you can outsmart them by recognizing their tactics, avoiding certain vulnerable behaviors, and implementing safe practices.
Have you ever engaged with a message on your device before realizing what it was about? Criminals leverage this “desire to engage” to execute text scams. To increase their success rate, they send such messages en masse, prompting their targets to take actions that will compromise them in one way or another.
Let’s look at some of the reasons why you may fall for their antics.
Distractions
Mobile devices are effective tools for entertainment and recreation, so it’s common practice to use them while doing something else. When performing a task with a high level of engagement and texting at the same time, you expose yourself to a text scam due to your divided attention. If you engage with a new message while driving, you may click on a malicious link without realizing it. Also, if you are watching TV and you receive a fraudulent email requesting your bank account information, you may reply to the email with your information without double-checking its authenticity due to your distraction.
Fatigue
Fiddling with your smartphone while you are tired may not be harmful, especially when you are watching interesting content on social media. But it could become a problem when you interact with messages in that condition. Due to your lack of motivation from exhaustion, you may not do due diligence on a scam text before responding to it. This can also happen when you are feeling sleepy from exhaustion. Your brain isn’t in the best condition to verify the legitimacy of the content you receive on your devices.
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
One of the easiest ways for criminals to get your attention is to create a fear of missing out (FOMO) in you. They message you about an enticing offer, urging you to grab it immediately before others take all the slots. You may sign up without hesitation because you don’t want to lose out. FOMO is common with online scams due to the intense feeling of urgency and loss it creates.
Curiosity
They say curiosity kills the cat - this is the case with texting scams. A fraudster sends you a malicious message that doesn’t add up. Despite having suspicions about it, you go on to interact with it out of curiosity about the outcome. Curiosity heightens in messages with incredible offers. A part of you tells you that the message isn’t genuine, but you may proceed with it to confirm its validity.
Financial Desires
Attackers pander to the human desire for money with irresistible offers. When you have many financial needs, it’s easy to click on a link that promises to help you meet them. Fraudulent messages look harmless on the surface. The slightest possibility that you could make some money from engaging with a ‘harmless’ is promising. If it looks too good to be true, it’s most likely a scam.
How to Prevent Text Scams
There’s a steady rise in online scams—and a lot of these are text-based. Here are some ways to prevent text scams.
Limit Multi-Tasking While Texting
It’s almost impossible not to multitask with texting—doing that has become second nature. It helps to measure the level of attention the other activity requires. You are better off keeping your texting devices away when performing tasks that require a high attention span. Cultivate a culture of pausing online activities if you must do something else.
Only Respond to Texts From Familiar Sources
Not responding to texts from unfamiliar sources reduces your chances of falling for text scams to the barest minimum because scam messages often come from strangers. Be skeptical about responding to messages from sources you don’t recognize. If the source is unfamiliar but legitimate, they will contact you through other mediums, or offer more explanation if you don’t respond.
Resist the Urge to Respond to Texts Immediately
You probably feel the urge to respond to messages immediately after you receive them - you aren’t the only one who feels that way. Recognize the fact that responding to messages is your prerogative. You can attend to them at your convenience, and it’s okay if you never reply, especially when you feel they aren’t relevant. When you take your time to read and digest a message, you gain clarity on it. Sometimes, sleeping over a seemingly genuine text helps you identify the fraud in it.
Double-Check Sources of Texts for Spelling Errors and Omissions
Criminals play smart by impersonating credible organizations. That text you received from your supposed financial service provider may be a scam. Even when you are very careful, there’s a tendency to miss little omissions. The idea is to check it over and over again. If you look closer, you may see a spelling discrepancy in the sender’s name. It’s not an error, but a deliberate attempt to deceive you. They hit a jackpot if you don’t spot the difference.
Be Wary of Messages With a Sense of Urgency
A recurring element of text scams is a sense of urgency. As mentioned earlier, exploiters use FOMO to coerce their targets into taking unfavorable actions. You should be concerned if you receive such messages from familiar sources, let alone unfamiliar ones. Legitimate offers may only last for some time, but they are not overly urgent. Messages that coerce you to part with your money or data are most likely fraudulent. Your best bet is to not respond at all.
Apply Caution With Messages to Prevent Text Scams
Cybercriminals play mind games with text scams by triggering you to respond. If you could pause for a moment before interacting with that message, you could see it for what it is. It’s best to not engage at all if you have the slightest suspicion. Messages from unfamiliar sources should be a red flag to you. When such messages request sensitive information, you should examine them even when they are from familiar sources because they could be altered.