Scammers and spammers don’t just invade our email inboxes. You may have seen an increase in messages from unknown senders in your text messages. Scammers use text messages to try and get personal information about you. They also sometimes claim to come from VIPs or people that may hold a higher position in the organization you may work for or are associated with. This information can help them directly or indirectly access your personal and financial accounts. Scammers use many different tactics to get you to interact with them. Some well-known tactics include but are not limited to:
- Asking for availability
- Fake delivery notifications
- Fake alerts on financial and personal accounts
- You won a prize or award
- A quick weight loss solution
- A quick method to get rid of debt
These messages tend to come up unexpectedly and from unknown senders. The best solution is to ignore the message and delete it. If your receive a message from someone you know, but the context is unexpected, find a secondary means to confirm that the message is actually from the legitimate sender. Be aware that all official communication from the University will come from official communications channels.