Got A Text Spam? Don’t Click That Link

Have you been seeing an increase in text messages that sound too good to be true? I have. For example, I've received texts that appear they are from cell phone companies, retail stores, and credit card companies telling me I have a refund coming or I have a 90 dollar gift certificate ready to be redeemed.

Are they scams? You bet they are. It's bad enough that I get a couple of robocalls every day, now I'm getting text message scams almost daily as well. These are deals that just don't sound legit.

And I've been smart enough not to click on the links provided to get the supposed deal being offered. When will it end? Probably never, but according to the Better Business Bureau, there are steps you can take to avoid text message scams.

Steps from the BBB include treating messages from unknown senders cautiously, contact the business for the validity of any deal you receive via text, void clicking on links from unknown sources, install anti-virus software and contact the company, so they can take action against these scammers.

The BBB has a BBB Scam Tracker website where you can report a text message scam. It even shows you the number of current scams reported across the country including the region. I found over 150 scams reported from the Binghamton area alone over the past six years. It's a great resource for seeing what scams are happening in any particular area of the country, including our area.

The BBB Scam Tracker website even details the type of scam, and how much money a person may have lost because of the scam along with a detailed description.

via Better Business Bureau, Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker