Text message SCAM alert

Message from United Way Worldwide

We been receiving multiple requests to investigate a texting scam that has made its way into our space.  Although these texting scams are not new, they are both annoying and, unfortunately, successful.  Texting scams are another type of ‘phishing’ tool.  These, charity driven, mobile phishing scams are another way for threat actors (the bad guys) to prey on a person’s sense of wanting to do good bundled with the enticement of receiving a gift.  In this case, a $5 Target Gift Card.
 
It is not the gift card that is the focus of the scam.  The focus is to gain your trust with the gift card and then take you to a website that asks you to give personal information, sign up for multiple offers, or ask for a donation to UW.  Once you enter your information it is scraped and sold.  This information can be used for many different reasons depending on what information you provided.  If the scam is successful in getting you to put your credit card information in, not only will your donation not go to where you expected, your credit card information (including expiration data and CVV number) will be sold to the highest bidder.
 
What can you do about unwanted text messages?

• Delete unwanted text messages that ask you to enter a special code, or to confirm or provide personal information. Legitimate companies won’t send you a text asking for sensitive information.
• Don’t click on links in the text message. Links can take you to spoof sites that look real but will steal your personal information.
• Report spam texts to your carrier. Copy the original message and forward it to 7726 (SPAM) free of charge, if you are an AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, or Sprint subscriber.

To read information about this type of scam, you can click any of the following links:
 

• https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/random-text-wait-wait-dont-click
• http://www.nbc12.com/story/22146864/on-your-side-avoid-text-message-scams
• https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-accuses-three-more-multimillion-dollar-text-message-224509934--finance.html

 
Thank you to the folks that reported this and to the others who followed up and reported it to the FCC via https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/.  
 
The sharing of information throughout the technology industry is the only way cyber defense teams have a chance to combat cybercrime.  It is only recently that the big players in cyber security have realized that this ‘sharing of information’ is the key to data and identity security.  Many advancements in cyber defense have been realized in the past few years due to open information sharing.  We, as end users, should continue to questions everything and to say something if we see something.

Thank you for staying vigilant.