Here’s a tip that’s worth repeating:
Don’t click on a link in a text message you get on your phone that says you’ve won a terrific prize or a gift card. Don’t reply either. It’s probably a scam.
The Federal Trade Commission settled charges with a group of marketers that were part of a scheme that sent millions of unsolicited spam text messages promoting supposedly free merchandise like $1,000 gift cards for Wal-Mart and Best Buy.
People who clicked the links in the messages didn’t get the promised prizes. Instead, they were taken to websites that asked them to give personal information and sign up for multiple offers, often involving purchases or paid subscriptions.
What can you do about unwanted text messages?
- Delete unwanted text messages that ask you to enter a special code, or to confirm or provide personal information. Legitimate companies won’t send you a text asking for sensitive information.
- Don’t click on links in the text message. Links can take you to spoof sites that look real but will steal your personal information.
- Report spam texts to your carrier. Copy the original message and forward it to 7726 (SPAM) free of charge, if you are an AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, or Sprint subscriber.
It is your choice whether to submit a comment. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTC’s computer user records system. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTC’s Privacy Act system notices. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy.
The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.
We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.
In reply to today I received a text from by ohdang123
In reply to I have been receiving random by lalalalala
When internet fraudsters impersonate a business to trick you into giving out your personal information, it’s called phishing. Don't reply to email, text, or pop-up messages that ask for your personal or financial information. Don’t click on links within them either.
You can file a complaint about the messages with the ftc at ftc.gov/complaint.
If you get repeated calls from the same number, you could ask your phone provider if it charges for a service that blocks calls from a particular number.
In reply to i clicked a youtube link for by im very worried..
In reply to i clicked a youtube link for by im very worried..
In reply to i clicked a youtube link for by im very worried..
In reply to Im getting texts from people by Alligator
In reply to I emailed someone a few by emme
In reply to I got a text with my full by flute
In reply to I got a text with my full by flute
In reply to I got a text with my full by flute
In reply to I received that same text by dragonfly
If you receive unwanted commercial text messages, file a complaint with the FTC.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) also accepts complaints about unwanted text messages.
In reply to I got a text with my full by flute
In reply to I got a text with my full by flute
In reply to +1 (470) 819-5044- this by alicia1lily
I just got the same thing from (734)333-7241 My street address - my full name -
In reply to +1 (470) 819-5044- this by alicia1lily
In reply to +1 (470) 819-5044- this by alicia1lily
In reply to +1 (470) 819-5044- this by alicia1lily
In reply to +1 (470) 819-5044- this by alicia1lily
In reply to I just received the same by Dmw
In reply to I received a note that had my by frme
In reply to The number I received the by dragonfly
In reply to The number I received the by dragonfly
In reply to I have been getting similar by mary2004
What can you do about unwanted text messages?
In reply to I just got the same type of by Vision
In reply to I got this message this by cc663
In reply to Hi, I just got a random text by dlsa
If you respond to one text, you might get more.
If you do, don’t click on links in the text message. Links can take you to spoof sites that look real but will steal your personal information.
Report spam texts to your carrier. Copy the original message and forward it to 7726 (SPAM) free of charge, if you are an AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, or Sprint subscriber.
got a text at 4:17am from 470-719-0017, my full name, address then it said finish, with a link to click, i did not click it, i deleted it..have no clue what or who but after reading here, i am glad i didn't click it..
In reply to got a text at 4:17am from 470 by classysassy
Pagination