![pretend text spammer pretend text spammer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Spammed-mail-folder.png)
Hanging up - and never pressing one - are your best bets with these scam attempts. They could give me a lower rate if I pay $99.99. If you would like lower charges, press one. The consumer told the BBB ScamTracker: "She asked are you happy with your AT&T charges. One consumer reported receiving one of these smishing texts that said: "We are thankful for your payment Tony!" But the consumer had no idea what company was texting and no payments had been made, according to a report in August to the BBB ScamTracker.Īnother consumer reported receiving a scam phone call from someone pretending to be from AT&T. Some might say you're about to lose out on benefits or suggest that your account has already been compromised. Such texts make it seem like you need to react right away. Sometimes, these texts can ask for a Social Security number or online account password, according to an AARP Fraud Watch Network alert. The smishing messages often appear to be from a government agency or trusted company that you know. Scammers impersonate big-name brands by building fake websites using forged company logos, signatures and styles. Instead, experts recommend that you go directly to a company’s website or call a phone number that is listed on your statement if you want to make sure something is legitimate. You do not want to respond to these short texts. More criminals are turning to what's known as "SMiShing" - where a text is sent through a "short message system," according to an AT&T online alert. The imposter text could look like something you might get about your bill but it does not have an AT&T identification in the link. Here's money just waiting for you if you click on this link. It's almost a new twist on the sweepstakes prize scam. They might catch you off guard - especially when you don't want to lose your air conditioning in a heat wave - and scare you into putting money on prepaid cards or gift cards.īut here, the crooks are offering a quick fix for giving you more money, money that you're supposedly owed. One popular trick is a phone call that claims to be from DTE Energy or another utility and threatens to shut off your electricity unless you pay $800 or $1,000 on the spot. More: Why you can't ignore the hackers and data breaches, like one at T-Mobile More: Hang up on robocalls promising to lower rates or fix credit More: Amazon scammers are slick, good at what they do: Here's what to watch for What's odd about this scam is that typically I've written about fraudsters who are trying to scare you into paying a past due bill, like an electric bill or gas bill. Any reply only alerts the spammer that your phone number is active, according to an AT&T forum online about this scam.Īnd AT&T warns: "Clicking on the link could lead to malware and compromise of your personal data."ĪT&T asks its customers to forward spam messages to 7726 (SPAM).ĪT&T also recommends downloading its AT&T Mobile Security & Call Protect App, which scans devices and all apps for malware and suspicious software.
![pretend text spammer pretend text spammer](https://i.pinimg.com/474x/de/ce/79/dece790608569140cd44d9aebc6f7f27--funny-texts-jokes-hilarious-quotes.jpg)
You don't want to click on any unknown links or reply in any way to these spammers. And they're asking you to click on a link, which is never smart when you get an email or text out of the blue like this one. Sure, the grammar and language are completely off, and that's a huge red flag of a scam right there. Reports, though, indicate that consumers elsewhere are seeing these kind of texts this summer, too. But an AT&T spokesperson would not elaborate on the extent of the latest scam attack on customers. Make no mistake, AT&T confirmed that it isn't sending out these texts. account: "We accidentally overcharged your phone bill last month.
#Pretend text spammer free
My friend and neighbor sent me a copy of a message he received this week involving an AT&T Free Msg. Who wouldn't want to wake up to a text claiming that someone or some company, like AT&T, owes you money?