This is called a ‘wrong number text’ scam. In the first half of last year, Americans received over 10 billion spam and scam texts per month, and wrong-number text scams are just one type of them. The aforementioned can be especially sneaky and are seen as a growing problem. Brown explains, “Scammers use a tactic known as social engineering, where they try to manipulate people into giving up personal information or performing actions that compromise their security. These messages are often made to seem casual and innocent, like “Is this John?” or “Hey, long time no see!"—something that might make you think it’s just a mistaken text.” Steele also mentions that the wrong number texts can further escalate into more consequential scams like phishing, pig butchering, or romance scams, all in hopes of extracting personal or financial information. Another warning sign could be strange conversation starters. “Scammers often use vague messages like “Who is this?” or “Is this [random name]?” to get a response. Once you engage, they may try to gather more information or convince you to click a link,” says Brown. Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Please use high-res photos without watermarks Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.
