Text message scams
Next to spoofing phone numbers, ‘smishing’ or sms phishing is also on the rise. You might get an sms from your bank or your general practitioner, urging you to either fill in some personal details, or to pay them any amount of money. In cases like this, scammers will pretend to be someone you trust and try to coax you into giving them your personal information or creditcard details over text.
How to protect yourself
- A virtual phone number. Nowadays it’s almost impossible to not share your number online. Of course, you’re by no means obliged to list your number front and center on your Facebook profile, but plenty websites require a phone number to register your account. Digital privacy expert Ray Wallsh warns against this, however. He suggests using a virtual number instead. They’re often easy to create with Google Voice or Burner. This virtual number will redirect to your actual phone number.
- Never click links. Did you get a text from your ‘bank’ or your ‘doctor’? They may seem real, but just to be sure: never click links in messages such as these. Instead, call the official phone number for your bank or your general practitioner’s office. This can generally be found on their website. In this phone call, you’ll be able to check whether they actually sent you this text. More likely than not they’ll tell you it’s a scam.
- Extra security. To prevent hackers from easily redirecting your phone number, you could ask your provider for some extra security. You might be able to set a second password or PIN to get into your account.
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Source: Reader’s Digest | Image: Unsplash, Luis Villasmil
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