Also known as a sweepstakes scam or lottery scam, this smishing (SMS phishing) attempt notifies you that you have won a prize, like a new car, iPad, or vacation. But, as you might expect, there is no prize – only a determined thief who is ready to steal from you.
These scams used to primarily target senior citizens, but it seems that now they target nearly all age groups.
Fake lottery scams or giveaway text scams can vary. According to the FTC, there are three things to watch out for:
- You have to pay a fee to “redeem” your prize.
- In the case of a sweepstakes or lottery, scammers might say that paying will increase your odds of winning.
- The fraudster may ask you to reveal your payment information.
Random giveaway texts are clear warning signs of suspicious smishing activity. Fraudsters want to entice you into giving away your information, so many smishing messages offer some benefit or reward.
If there is any doubt, remember that if something seems too good to be true, it’s probably a scam.
In addition, consider installing an anti-phishing app (like RedFox Anti-Phishing & Scam Detector) that will help you quickly and efficiently detect any malicious offer link that comes to you via email, social networks, messaging apps or via SMS.
