Watch out for this text
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There’s nothing like the offer of free money to brighten up your day, and smartphone users can expect to see exactly that by way of a text message sent to their devices. Millions will now get these surprise refund texts — but it’s not what it seems.
These are not real refunds of course, they’re attacks. They’re a surprise because they’re not real. They’re enticing because it’s a compelling lure. And if you casually click you risk losing your money, your data, maybe even your identity.
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The fake refund messages come from the same stable as the fake road tolls, DMV fines and undelivered packages that you’re been warned about repeatedly. And just as with those other campaigns, the attack hijacks brands to convince you it’s real.
The text you’ll see most appears to come from Amazon. It will confirm a refund has been issued because of a product recall or a marketplace seller who has not met their standards. The text includes a link to claim the refund. Hundreds of millions of phone users have Amazon accounts, which is why the lure lands so effectively.
But it doesn’t have to be Amazon. The State of California has warned citizens to beware a similar text scam. Per MalwareBytes, the texts tell users “your tax refund claim has been processed and approved,” with a link to “provide accurate collection information.”
Millions of these text messages are sent out daily. Most won’t get through — stopped by networks or devices. But millions do turn up with links that may only be live for a few hours until they’re blocked, but long enough for plenty of casual clicks.
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Google and Apple are now technology to block or filter scam texts, and it’s critical you enable the options when available on your phone. But even without that technical filter, never click any links in texts, unless it’s categorically from a contact and expected.
You should also delete all such texts on your phone, per the FBI’s advice to smartphone users. If you have any doubts, contact the apparent sender to confirm the message is legitimate through usual channels, not by replying to the message. In the case of refunds, log into your account the usual way and check there.