As more and more people turn to text messaging as one of their primary forms of communication, it’s a sad fact of life that scammers are turning to text as well to try and fool unsuspecting people.
However, unlike phone and email scams that are sometimes hard to decipher, there are some sure-fire ways to spot a text message that’s a scam-in-waiting.
Fulton Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing has a look at eight signs that a fake or fraudulent text message has made it to your phone.
- Look at the Company
The text may open with who they are trying to be, but check to see if you even do business with that company.
- Spelling Mistakes and Poor Grammar
Legitimate text messages from companies will appear professional. Messages littered with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes should raise a red flag.
- Emojis
Much like the last point, professional companies will not send text messages with emojis in them.
- Suspicious Web Links
Look for web addresses that don’t match the supposed company or appear to be a random mix of numbers and letters.
- Sent to Multiple People
Look at the top of the message and see if it was sent to multiple phone numbers. This would indicate a clear case of spam.
- Using All Capital Letters
Again, professional companies will use proper grammar, which does not include using all capital letters for emphasis.
- Message Received Outside of Business Hours
If you wake up to one of these messages or receive one late at night, chances are it originated from another country and is not who it claims to be.
- An Urgent Request
These messages are designed to trick you and make you panic, so any call for you to do something immediately, including clicking a suspicious link or providing personal information, is a sure sign of a scammer.
To learn more about Fulton Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://fulton-center.facilities.centershealthcare.org.
