Every day, millions of scam text messages land on phones across the country. The FTC reported over $470 million lost to text message fraud in 2024 alone, making it one of the fastest-growing types of fraud. These messages look convincing because scammers use real company names, urgent language, and shortened links to trick you into clicking.
What Are Scam Text Messages?
Scam texts (also called "smishing" or SMS fraud) are fake messages sent to your phone designed to steal your personal information, money, or login credentials. They often pretend to be from banks, delivery companies, government agencies, or even people you know.
9 Warning Signs of a Scam Text
1. Unexpected Urgency
Scam texts create panic. They say your account will be closed, your package cannot be delivered, or suspicious activity was detected. Legitimate companies rarely send urgent demands via text.
2. Shortened or Suspicious Links
Look for links that use URL shorteners (bit.ly, tinyurl) or misspelled domain names like "amaz0n-verify.com" instead of amazon.com. Never click these links.
3. Requests for Personal Information
No real bank, government agency, or company will ask for your Social Security number, password, or PIN via text message. Ever.
4. Prize or Reward Notifications
If you did not enter a contest, you did not win one. Messages claiming you won gift cards, cash prizes, or free products are almost always scams.
5. Unknown Sender Numbers
Scam texts often come from random phone numbers, email addresses, or international numbers. Some use spoofed local numbers to look legitimate.
6. Poor Grammar and Spelling
Many scam messages contain spelling mistakes, awkward phrasing, or unusual formatting. Professional companies have editors review their communications.
7. Threats of Legal Action
Messages threatening arrest, lawsuits, or account suspension are designed to scare you into acting without thinking.
8. Requests for Payment via Gift Cards or Wire Transfer
Legitimate companies never ask for payment through gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers. This is a major red flag.
9. Too-Good-To-Be-True Offers
Free iPhones, guaranteed loans, or work-from-home jobs paying thousands per week are classic bait used by scammers.
What to Do If You Receive a Scam Text
- Do not click any links in the message
- Do not reply to the sender
- Block the number on your phone
- Report the message by forwarding it to 7726 (SPAM)
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
- Use our Scam Checker tool to verify suspicious messages
- If you already clicked a link, change your passwords immediately and monitor your accounts
How to Protect Your Family
Talk to your family members, especially seniors and teenagers, about scam texts. Set up spam filters on their phones and show them how to check suspicious messages using our free Scam Checker tool.
The best defense against scam texts is awareness. When in doubt, contact the company directly using the phone number on their official website, not the number in the text message.