In May we saw a return to cybercriminals using their regular tactics in trying to scam consumers, with scammers impersonating well known brands such as PayPal, Netflix, Mater Lotteries, Toyota and Google.

How can you tell if a message is a scam?

Scammers are getting more sophisticated at making scam text messages look authentic and often use identity masking technology to change the name displayed as the caller ID. This is known as number spoofing.

That said, if you’re wondering how to tell if a message is a scam, there are a few signs to watch out for:

• Unexpected contact. Think about how an organisation usually contacts you. If it isn’t via a text message, contact them directly to check if it’s legitimate. Remember, genuine organisations don’t contact you out of the blue, asking you to disclose personal or financial details via a text message.
• Spelling and grammatical errors. If a message doesn’t look professional, that’s a red flag that it’s probably a scam. Legitimate organisations rarely make glaring spelling or grammatical errors in customer communications.
• Is the message relevant to you? For example, if it informs you about a parcel delivery, did you order or were you expecting anything? If it informs you about a prize, did you enter a competition? If it’s about a gift card, is it from somewhere you have previously shopped?

The golden rule of any scam, online or otherwise, is that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Additional Warning Signs

• A text message requests personal information, such an online account password.
• The message asks you to click a link to resolve a problem, win a prize or access a service.

How to protect yourself from spam texts

• Don’t disclose your mobile phone number online unless it’s essential. Often, online forms ask us to disclose phone numbers but remember that the details you submit can often end up on marketing lists or databases. Unless it’s essential or mandatory, avoid giving your number out to help reduce the number of unwanted texts and calls.
• Don’t post your mobile phone number publicly. For example, avoid listing your mobile phone number on your social media profiles such as Facebook, Twitter, or elsewhere.
• Keep an eye on your mobile phone bill. Review your phone bill regularly. If you see any charges which don’t look right, contact your network carrier to check if you’re either receiving or unknowingly sending spam messages from your phone.
• Place your number on a Do Not Call Registry.  This allows users to opt-out of receiving unwanted texts and marketing calls. However, note that actual scammers don’t abide by this registry, so they will continue to send scam texts regardless.
• Use antivirus protection for phones. So much of our personal information is stored in smartphones and tablets, so it’s advisable to use mobile security to protect it. A solution like Trend Micro Security Suite Pro Plus includes mobile security as well as features to block spam and scam texts.

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