Act Now – FBI tells iPhone and Android users to remove these scam text messages
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- US SMS -report claims that unpaid toll costs are due
- Messages contain a malignant link to steal payment information
- FBI warns users to delete and report messages from unknown senders
The FBI has warned of a new phishing scam that sweeping in the US. The Con focuses on drivers with convincing fake texts claiming to be from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). It is part of one Growing trend of SMS -Tol swam Designed to mislead recipients to click on malignant links and transfer their credit card information.
As reported by the local Memphis TV station Wreg and later picked up by GentlemanThe FBI has given a warning to anyone who receives a suspicious SMS. With smartphone users, the agency has urged not to click on the left of unknown sources and to remove these SMS messages immediately.
In conversation with WRIT, FBI Supervision Special Agent David Palmer de Scamper described as a “copycat” of the widespread toll -wambling who appeared earlier this year. Those attacks also used fake unpaid toll reports to lure victims to transfer sensitive personal information.
What makes this toll winder so dangerous is the ease with which they can be distributed, as well as what they can collect. “It costs almost nothing to send and shout these messages,” Palmer told WRIT. “In exchange, they can … go inside and steal information from your device or collect your payment information.”
How the scam works – and how to spot it
How to spot a fake text
Although some SCAM -SSMS messages are surprisingly polished, there are several common signs to pay attention:
• Generic greetings Without personal information
• Urgent or threatening language such as “your account will be suspended”
• Unusual links or e -mail addressesoften ending in foreign domains or not -related names
• Clear errors Including typos or formatting errors
• Unknown sendersSuch as random numbers or clearly fake -mail manuals
Most toll -swivel texts follow a similar size. The message usually claims that you have outstanding toll costs and you urge you to follow a link to arrange the balance. The link usually leads to a fake payment site that is designed to steal your information. This will be a convincing replica of a real government website, with the help of similar fonts, colors and logos, all of which seem to be official.
Most messages include the threat of late costs or legal steps if you do not act quickly. This is intended to create a sense of urgency and panic, which activates an emotional reaction that can ensure that the recipient overlooks and acts without verifying whether the message is legitimate.
Allegedly Palmer himself received one of the fake texts – and quickly saw different red flags. “A few things I immediately noticed … The text message I received said it was from the North Tennessee Department of Motor Vehicles,” he said. “Of course there is no North or South Tennessee.”
Inconsistencies such as these are a clear feature of a message that you are trying to dupe. This also applies to sender data that does not increase. Agent Palmer gave an example: “The message I received from e -mail address @catlover.com, that is of course not a government address.”
Other signs to pay attention are spelling and grammatical errors, as well as generic greetings that do not refer to your name or license plate. If you are unsure, do not take the message. Instead, contact the relevant agency for clarification. Or as Palmer said, “If you don’t know who it is, don’t click on the link.”
Suspicious messages must be removed immediately. You can also report them to the FTC and the FBIs Internet crime complaints center.
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