The FBI is warning millions of Americans to be wary of an innocuous-seeming text message that’s making the rounds — and to delete it immediately if they get it.
(Surprise! It’s a scam.)
Americans have been bombarded with text scams for some time now, but according to Forbes, attacks on iPhone and Android users surged more than 700% this month alone. And the latest one’s a doozy, the feds say.
Here’s how the scammers trap unsuspecting iPhone users in their web — by posing as the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) of different states.
The messages look like they could be legit, telling people that if they don’t pay an unpaid toll or fine, they might be subjected to having their driving privileges revoked or possible jail time.
The text includes a link and instructs people to reply to the message then open the link.
But officials warn that all of this is just someone trying to steal your personal data — and urged users not to click the link and rather immediately delete the text.
These kinds of texts can “put malware on your phone, which then can go in and steal information from your device, or collect your payment information,” FBI Tennessee’s Supervisory Special Agent David Palmer said in a statement.
Palmer also noted that in general, if you get a link from an unknown number, you should exercise caution and not click on it.
“These scam texts lead to phishing websites designed to steal people’s credit card information and make unauthorized charges,” a rep for Guardio, a tool that offers protection against malware, identity theft, and phishing on your browser, told Forbes.
New York State DMV Commissioner Mark J. F. Schroeder added, “These scammers flood phones with texts, hoping to trick unsuspecting people into handing over their personal information. DMV will never send texts asking for sensitive details.”
Those who received one of these texts are being urged to file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
States reportedly affected by these text scams include include Tennessee, New York, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Texas, and Washington DC.
