How to Identify and Avoid SMS Scams [Infographic]

Scams have unfortunately evolved over the years, and are still notorious today. Scenarios like receiving a notification that says you won a raffle, getting a call from someone pretending to be your relative who needs immediate financial help, or seeing a suspicious email in your inbox are still all too common.

Many people are wise enough to delete the email or end the phone call, but others aren’t too sharp. You can’t blame them either, as fraudsters are getting more and more creative with their methods of stealing from others.

Because of COVID-19, scams have become rampant again. The pandemic’s severe impact on many industries resulted in a lot of people losing jobs or struggling to transition to remote work. As a result, more and more resort to dirty tricks to get money. You have to be extra wary and careful of how you deal with your transactions, especially with everything transitioning online.

Many reputable news sources and government agencies are warning the general public about the rise of pandemic-related scams, as the situation is being used to capitalize on people’s fear. It will usually detail things like claiming your free testing kit or how your loan payments have been affected by the recent changes in the economy.

While you’ve probably heard of email and phone call scams, there’s one more thing you should keep your eye out for: SMS scams. With 5 billion people globally having phones that can actively send and receive SMS, there’s a massive audience for scammers to target. SMS scams are on the rise since more people open them vs. taking a call from an unknown number or checking an email from a weird sender.

With techniques like SMS phishing, where you receive scam texts pretending to be from a brand you trust, it’s easier to get fooled. These messages may ask for sensitive information or ask you to click on fraudulent links. In fact, survey says 31% of mobile users have experienced the same scenario.

During these very challenging times, it’s only wise to be cautious and take extra steps to protect yourself from tech scams. No one deserves to be scammed off their hard-earned money, especially at a time like this.

Below is a nifty infographic that can help you identify and avoid SMS scams, so you don’t fall into the traps. Feel free to share this with your relatives to spread the word.