Unfortunately, some scammers use different numbers or addresses for each message they send, leaving you playing a game of virtual Whack-a-Mole, constantly blocking suspicious numbers and e-mails as the scammers cycle through new ones.Īt that point, consider reporting the spam and phishing attempts to your wireless carrier or e-mail service, along with government agencies - including the FTC's online fraud complaint form and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center. You can also manage your phone's filters to weed out calls or texts from unknown numbers. The simplest way to stop receiving suspicious messages is to block the phone numbers or email addresses that are messaging you. If you have any doubt over a particular text or e-mail's legitimacy, the FTC advises you to contact the company or institution's "verifiable customer service line." Visit the company's website to find a valid contact number or e-mail address, rather than responding to the message you've received. So to be extra cautious, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recommends that you "never share your personal or financial information via email, text messages, or over the phone." How to block and report spammers In some cases, they even mimic your own number, making it seem like you're calling or texting yourself. Many scammers rely on " spoofing," a practice that tricks your phone's Caller ID into thinking you're getting a text or call from someone you trust. The company says that if you're suspicious about a message requesting updated payment information, you should go to your online Amazon account's "Your Orders" page. "If you aren't prompted to update your payment method on that screen, the message isn't from Amazon," the company says. The company says that red flags include order confirmations for items you didn't order and messages with grammatical errors or prompts to install software. Saying there's a problem with your payment informationĪmazon itself offers an online guide to help its customers identify suspicious messages posing as official Amazon communications.Alerting you to allegedly suspicious account activity.Offering some form of low-interest credit.The FTC notes that there are several tell-tale signs often associated with scammers, who can "use a variety of ever-changing stories to try to rope you in." These include: So start by checking your cell phone company's website for info on how to nix those scammy texts.Don't click any links, or share any personal information, unless you're absolutely sure you're actually speaking with an actual representative from Amazon, or any other legitimate company or organization. For example, Verizon lets you block all texts coming from an email address through the Blocks page on your online account. Want to block these annoying spam texts from email addresses? Your options vary depending on your cell phone provider. If you get one of these texts, don't respond to it, even if you see a message that says something like "text STOP to opt out." By responding to a spam text, you just let the scammer know they've reached a working number.Īnd don't click any links in the message either. Clicking a link could install malware on your phone or take you to a fake site that will try to steal your personal information or scam you out of your money. They usually come from a scammer who is sitting behind a computer sending a massive amount of texts from an email address or other messaging account. The fact is, most spam texts don't come from another mobile phone. So what are they? These messages are spam texts, also known as robotexts. They often come from email addresses made up of a garbled mess of numbers and letters, and they can be a real headache. Help.Īnswer: Just about everyone with a phone has gotten at least a few of those weird text messages. Question: What are these weird text messages I am getting that come from email and are random letters and numbers? Ideally, I would like them to never arrive.
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