CON artists are said to be using fake “wrong number” texts to try and scam people out of money.
You may be tempted to reply to a seemingly innocent message to explain that the sender has the wrong number but this is exactly what a cyber criminal wants you to do.
1
In many cases, the sender is likely a chat bot trained to lure you into conversation and eventually try and get you to hand over personal data or money.
The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning about this scam.
It said: “A new text message scam seems so innocent that it’s tempting to reply.
“But con artists are using phony “wrong number” texts to lure victims into conversation and falling for a scam.”
Examples of the scam include a chat bot pretending to be a woman from a dating app so the recipient might be lured into signing up for paid adult dating websites.
The Better Business Bureau explained: “You receive a text that reads something like this: “Hey is this John? It’s Amanda. We chatted on Tinder before when I came to visit my cousin but we never met irl. I’m back in town if you want to meet up this time, are you free?”
“If you reply to a text like this, even with a polite, “Sorry, wrong number,” the stranger responds anyway, seemingly ignoring your answer.
“Usually, you’ll receive a few compliments and some photos of “Amanda,” who appears to be a scantily clad blonde woman. However, as the word gets out about this scam, scammers will change up the names, backstory, and photos.”
The ‘stranger’ in this scenario, who is actually a chat bot set up by a cyber criminal, will reportedly try and trick a victim into signing up for dating or adult websites.
They may suggest that more explicit photos are available on the site and try and get a credit card number.
Giving away your credit card number or any personal financial information to a cyber criminal could result in you losing money and identity theft.
How to avoid the scam
The best way to avoid a scam like this is to ignore texts from strangers.
If you reply, your number may be marked as active and could result in more scams being sent your way.
It’s best to block the number of any texts that look like they come from a chat bot.
Remember to never give personal information away to strangers online and always be cautious of doing this even if you think you’re talking to a friend.
Best Phone and Gadget tips and hacks
Looking for tips and hacks for your phone? Want to find those secret features within social media apps? We have you covered…
Are the extra iPhone cameras FAKE-? TikTok star thinks she has proof
In other news, take a look at your hidden Facebook rejection folder.
And, check out these four new WhatsApp features coming to the app.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]
This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
