Being connected to a social phishing scam can also lead to reputational damage. We recently reviewed your account, and we need more information to help us provide you with secure service. Scam types vary, but they will all attempt to rope you in with lucrative offers (like free prize money from a reputed retailer); attempt to get you to divulge information or take action (by pretending to be a friend or family member in need); or dangle fake information about a transaction or account (like a package delivery). There was no indication, Mr. Young said, that the messages came from Russia, which has become suspected of carrying out cyberattacks amid that countrys ongoing invasion of Ukraine. On or about 6/23/2021 I stopped getting email-to-text from my company's SMTP server to my <number>@vtext.com address. If you fall for this scam and click the link, you might be asked to share your personal information, like your name, address, phone number, and social security number. In addition to the workers responsible for managing social media accounts, employees often access their social media accounts on their work devices. Spam, phishing emails & texts, and robocalls are on the rise. UNDATED (WKRC) - A new phishing scam seems to be targeting Verizon users' personal information. To help prevent this from happening again just confirm your identity and location. In 2020, 334,524 complaints were made, which equaled an average of 916 reports a day. Reports from victims state that the scam was received via an apparently legitimate DHL shipping email address complete with tracking number and link. Keep getting text from random numbers @vztext or v - Verizon 0 seconds of 1 minute, 13 secondsVolume 0% 00:25 01:13 Do not click on this link. Mine says: "Your latest bill has been paid, please accept your special rebate and gift of $250 from VZN! Verizon Wireless, One Verizon Way, Mail Code: 180WVB, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920, -----------------------------------------------------, Respond to the text message or email in any way, Provide any data to any websites mentioned. He's written about technology for over a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for two years. Many people have reported the scam texts to Verizon, and the company is investigating the issue further as a result. We recommend that you view this content online or on your mobile device for a better design and navigation experience and the ability to seamlessly access links and other documents. Richard is a Tom's Guide senior writer based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. All rights reserved. The message, sent by 562-666-one-one-five-nine (and spotted by. Most smartphones include features for blocking unwanted calls and text messages. If it contains poor spelling or grammar, the text could likely be a phishing tactic. This recent phishing attack could mean that the user's information is on the verge of being stolen. Text message (SMS) or email phishing scams often attempt to lure customers to a fraudulent website to input personal information and/or download virus infected programs. At no cost to the sender! The specific contact, which is 562-666-1159, notifies users that they have already paid the bill for the previous month. The phishing scam involves sending texts to a recipient through a suspicious phone number. We didnt provide real Verizon account details, so we cant say for sure. Delete all suspicious texts. Scroll down until you find Messages. When you purchase through our links we may earn a commission. This year there have been 6,900 reports up until late May and the numbers are on the rise, suggesting that the 2020 total will be surpassed in 2021. Clicking on the link would not have likely exposed those customers cellphones to malware, he added. If you arent careful, you will let your guard down and make a mistake that could seriously cost you. We've reported on package delivery scams before, including DHL, FedEx, and USPS variants. Have a tip? Dont try this at home: If you receive a scam message, we recommend against opening any links attached to it. Now, if you receive a message from a sender whos not in your address book, you won't get a notification. According to Phone Arena's reporton Saturday, Oct.9, Verizon subscribers have started to receive malicious messages from unidentified senders. Phishing is on the rise. Scroll down to Filter Unknown Senders and toggle the setting on. to suspicious messages at all. The text messages might be used to inform, engage or organize voter participation. Verizon has detected that you have an older Windows . How to Spot a Text Message Scam - How-To Geek Scammers often use fear as a driver to obtain sensitive information. An organization that holds itself out as P2P (which means person-to-person is reserved for consumers texting other consumers) or is not compliant with the guidelines and its messages may be stopped. The attack was similar to what T-Mobile customers experienced previously. Please review our Privacy Policy. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. If so, please do SHARE with friends and family to help keep the online community safe and secure. The texts center around scammers posing as Amazon and asking victims for their delivery preferences, referencing a fake Amazon Prime account, or even alerting people about suspicious activity on their account with a login link. Verizon will never ask for personal or account information by text message. As part of a recent fraud scheme, bad actors have been sending text messages to some Verizon customers which appear to come from the customers own number. At the end of the process, the phishing website thanks you for providing your information and redirects you to the home page.. If you leave your name blank, itll ask you to enter a name before you continue. But those barriers havent stopped fraudsters from trying to bait cellphone users to relinquish financial information and other personal data with offers that include free gifts. If a text is sent through an approved messaging platform, your opt out request should be honored. Then you can delete or block it from your phone. We opened the link to see the scam in action. This week there is a new version telling you to check the shipment address for your pending package: If they are able to do so, they could order phones that you will end up paying for. We respect your privacy. Dont respond to unwanted/suspicious texts. Institute security awareness training educating employees on how to detect a social media scam. But these 5 signs can help you identify if a scammer is texting you. When it comes to phishing, Verizon research shows that 85% of phishing attacks are taking place over other channels beyond just email, like messaging, gaming, social and productivity apps. Before making any snap decisions, take some time to review the company website, look for known scams and always go directly to the websites or services instead of clicking on any links provided by the sender. While this will give people the ability to make a more informed decision, it is not a cure for all as many scammers will make it look like they are using legitimate channels of communication.