Phone Scams

Telephone scams are on the rise! 

Seniors are becoming frequent targets due to their vulnerability, lack of technology skills, and access to resources. Texting scams deceive people into revealing personal information or downloading malicious software. They’re referred to as “smishing.” That’s a term that combines SMS, that’s Short Message Service (otherwise known as a text messages), with “phishing.”

To outsmart scammers, you have to pause. Refuse to react emotionally. Get a trusted person’s opinion before taking any action requested on your phone. Scammers will prey on your fear and greed. Beware of urgent requests for personal information or offers that seem too good to be true. Legitimate organizations will never request personal information or demand urgent action through a text.

Common “Smishing” scams involve bank and government agency impersonations, account issues, and delivery notifications. They try job offers, prize or lottery wins, credit card offers, and help for paying off student loans. Romance scams prey on the lonely. Do not click links and never respond to unsolicited business texts. Common indicators are spelling and grammar errors. If you think the source is valid, call the organization or check out the situation online. Absolutely do not reply via text. Protect yourself and help reduce scams for everyone.

And if you’re struggling with credit card debt, Christian Credit Counselors are the best. They can create a debt management plan specifically for your needs. For more information, visit online at crown.org/ccc.