It took him a few seconds to realize that he’d been scammed. The tip-off came with the multiple pop-up ads that burst onto his phone screen and the inability to escape the website he’d been taken to. A reboot, a quick virus scan, and a few choice words later, my very tech-savvy husband sat, stunned, wondering how he had fallen so easily for a text phishing scam more commonly known as smishing. It happens to even the most conscientious of us more often than you’d think.
Why We Fall for Texting Scams
A recent survey by Tessian says that we’re all so stressed out and distracted these days that even in industries like technology, close to half of the respondents admitted to clicking links in phishing emails. Extrapolate that out to a smartphone texting situation, where we’re on the go and more error-prone because we’re distracted by the world around us, and you’ve got a situation ripe for abuse.
Recent Scams
In 2018, for example, scammers conned 125 customers of Fifth Third Bank in Ohio into sharing usernames and passwords in an elaborate smishing scheme that net the criminals $106,000. More recently, the FTC had to start issuing warnings about contact tracing text scams related to the pandemic. Criminals realized that so many people are worried about catching the virus that they saw opportunity in sending a text designed to prey on the most basic of human fears: illness and death.
We’re Wired for Scams
And that brings us back to the question of why we fall for these kinds of texts. What is it that makes us click a link when we all know we shouldn’t? The answer lies in the psychology of human nature. While we could blame the current pandemic environment and the sudden shift to new ways of working, falling for texting and other types of scams is an inherently human kind of thing to do, really, and it’s been happening for years. Here’s why:
Modern Life: The Ideal Scam Incubator
So here we are: Distracted, stressed out, curious, and a little bit greedy. And when that text pops up from scammers (using a stolen list of names and phone numbers), it seems so innocent to simply click that link and just see if this is something legitimate. Something that might reduce the craziness of the world around us. Something that might make our lives a little easier. And it seems so… personal because it’s on the piece of technology we tote with us night and day. They know my phone number! Why not just click that link?
Why You Shouldn’t Cave In
We all know deep down why we shouldn’t click that link but, for the record:
Your Info Can Be Stolen
First, it could take you to a very dangerous, fake online place designed to steal your personal and financial information.
You’ll Tip Off the Scammers
Second, that simple click now notifies scammers that they have a live one, otherwise known as someone willing to engage. Scammers are nothing if not opportunistic, so now your phone number goes on a new list perhaps internally titled in the scam master manual as Fools Who Will Click Anything.
My husband found himself on that list so the choice words continued for a few weeks as he deleted and blocked a plethora of new scam texts.
You’ll Be Set Up for ID Theft
For others who click and don’t realize where they’ve landed, the situation gets worse: They enter personal and sensitive information like usernames and passwords or, worse, social security numbers and bank account details. Cue the Scammer Applause.
Go on the Defensive
Scammers get names and phone numbers by stealing the info from all over the internet. Here’s the single most effective trick to avoid a texting scam: Go on the defensive.
Three Strategies
Use that trick to help make the following an automatic response for any text you receive:
Only respond to texts from people you know.Immediately delete any other text and block the phone number it came from.Never reply to an unknown sender with a STOP reply.
That STOP response just tells the scammers that your phone number is active, so even more texts will be generated to your number in the hopes that you will eventually click a link. If the text appears to come from an organization you routinely do business with, think very carefully and do some checking with the official website or directly contact the organization before responding. For example, Fedex doesn’t text people about package deliveries so that text you received is a scam. Walmart doesn’t text random people about winning gift cards and vouchers, either.
You Don’t Owe Anyone an Answer
Remember, you are under no obligation to respond to any text, just like you’re under no obligation to answer your phone because it rings. At the very least, you are entitled to take your time, thoughtfully review the text, and then delete it; there’s no need to act hastily if quick actions are stressful for you.
Protect Your Number
Finally, resist the urge to give your phone number out to every website or store that wants it. Scammers hack those lists to get your name and phone number; you can stop some of the problem by eliminating the source. If you start thinking of your phone number as very personal and sensitive information just like your social security or bank account numbers, it will eventually become something that you thoughtfully guard. If you really must give out a phone number, consider using a free internet phone number instead of your real one to guard against criminal activity. It’s just your phone number they’re texting. Don’t give them the key to your world.
