Cyber security expert warns 100% of phone users to never click on pleading text message
There's a scam that catches people out more than any other, according to a cyber security expert, who has revealed the text message you should never reply to.
While we're constantly told to watch out for typos, dodgy phone numbers and suspicious links, cyber security expert James Bore says the most effective way to spot a text scam has little to do with any of those warning signs.
The chartered security professional has instead revealed the one message people should never reply to - and explained why it's convincing enough to fool victims time and time again.
"I've lost my phone and I'm in trouble," is the message Bore urged people to ignore at all costs. Seems simple enough, but the expert admitted that there is a 'real problem' with following this guidance.
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Speaking to UNILAD, he acknowledged: "Because people can lose their phone and be in trouble."
"The best thing to do, for anyone you care about and would want to support in an actual emergency, is to agree a safety word or phrase - just something they can include in a message if they ever are in trouble. Any message missing it can then be dismissed."
Bore said the 'largest lever fraudsters have to pull on' is our emotional response, explaining that when we're scared, anxious or panicked, we're far less likely to stop and think logically.
The exact same scam has been reported on WhatsApp as well as regular messaging, so it's a warning that goes beyond just normal SMS.
How to protect yourself from text scams
The security expert advised: "Teaching ourselves to take five seconds to step away and process is the most effective thing most of us can do to protect ourselves from scams."
He noted that 'familiarity' can often cause the biggest problem when it comes to people falling for ill-intentioned messages.
Bored added: "The most effective scams are ones which are very close to real messages. More people are caught out by 'your delivery has failed, please pay a fee to rearrange' or parking fine messages than almost anything else, because they fit into what we expect and so we often won't take time to think them through."
Americans lose money on text scams every year
Americans are targeted by hundreds of thousands of spam and scam text attempts every minute, resulting in millions of dollars in losses annually, according to Text-em-all.
And the consequences can be more devastating than we might first realize.
Consumers lose hundreds of millions of dollars directly to text message scams, commonly known as smishing, each year, with reported text fraud losses hitting $470 million according to data tracked by the Federal Trade Commission.
Most common text scams in the US
The commission revealed the most common text scams of 2024, which included:
- Fake package delivery texts claiming there's an issue with a parcel and asking you to pay a small redelivery fee.
- Phoney job offers promising easy money for completing simple online tasks before asking victims to send money.
- Fake fraud alerts impersonating banks or companies to convince people their accounts are at risk.
- Bogus unpaid toll notices urging drivers to click a link and settle a non-existent balance.
- 'Wrong number' texts that begin as innocent conversations before developing into investment scams that can cost victims thousands.
Topics: Technology, Money, US News
Mia Williams