American consumers lost $ 470 million last year to scams that began with fraudulent text messages, according to Data from the Federal Trade Commission published Wednesday.
The losses marked a 26% increase from the total of 2023 of $ 373 million and a jump of five times from the total of 2020 of $ 85 million. The FTC says that the numbers probably represent only a fraction of real money lost in the scams because most financial scams are not reported.
At the same time, the number of scams reported has fallen in the last four years, falling from 332,000 in 2020 to 247,000 last year, since the amount lost by reported fraud jumped, says the FTC.
Scam texts have become more popular among cybercriminals in recent years, since consumers have moved away from email and traditional laptops and, on the other hand, are doing more with their phones. In addition, minimalist nature and shortened, or hidden links, used in text messages, make scam messages more difficult to detect what they would be if they would be sent as traditional emails.
The most common type of text scam reported to the FTC in 2024 were the packet delivery scams, where cybercriminals try to impersonate a shipping company such as UPS or Fedex, or an important retailer like Amazon. They send messages falsely affirming that there is a problem with a delivery. They could say that there is a problem with the credit card that pays it or that the delivery address must be re -entered.
Other common scams included False work opportunitiesincluding the so -called tasks that begin with easy -line work offers, but often deceive the objectives to “invest” their own money. Other messages take the form of false fraud alerts who claim that there are suspicious purchases on your credit card or an unauthorized login to your bank account. Unpaid toll scams They have also become popular among cybercriminals in recent months,
In addition, some romantic scams Start with apparently benign messages that seem to be of an incorrect number, but then the scammer enters a conversation with the possible victim and tries to build an online relationship over time, eventually asking for money,
Regardless of the scam tone, messages are attempts to make the recipient deliver money or cryptocurrencyBanking or credit card information, login credentials for online accounts or even your most personal data, such as your Social Security number.
Tips to avoid text scams
Do not click Links in Undipated Texts. Even if a text seems that it really comes from your favorite bank or store, it is better to go directly to the website of that company, instead of clicking the link.
Think twice before delivering confidential information. Yes The application comes in the form of an email, text message or phone callThink before delivering your personal or financial data. Does the company or the person who really needs it? Even if the application is legitimate, the less your information is, the better.
Set the text filters and block the known fraud numbers. You can do this in your Apple either Android Telephone or through your wireless carrier. Third -party call blocking applications can also stop messages. Need help? The FTC recommends consulting the Honor.
Estafa messages report. You can do it through your Apple or Android messaging application, but you can also copy the message and forward it to 7726 (spam). This will help your wireless operator to the point and block the future scam messages. Messages can also be informed to the FTC in Reportfraud.ftc.gov.
