Cybercriminals have many tricks for getting a target to communicate with them via text message. For example, they might pretend to be a help desk or a package delivery company. Increasingly, hackers will pretend to be an ordinary person who simply entered the wrong phone number.
A harmless response that risks leading to a scam
As the FBI indicates, a text message usually contains a question or statement that requires a response. For example, the message might indicate that the recipient is on their way to an appointment and asks the recipient to confirm their presence. The text might also mention a doctor's appointment, a funeral, or a scheduled hospital visit. In any case, the target may be tempted to reply to the message to warn that it's not the right number. After all, you don't see the harm in replying to someone who's at a dead end.
In some cases, the message allows the attacker to "start a conversation and establish a bond of trust, or even a friendship or a long-distance relationship." As time goes on, the hacker can then convince their target to invest huge sums in financial or cryptocurrency scams. This is just one way to get in touch with a potential victim.
Hackers can also use your reply to confirm that your number is active. No matter what you write, the scammer now knows that your number is active and that you're responding. Your number will then be added to databases used by criminal gangs abroad. Later, you could find yourself targeted by another type of scam. Steve Grobman, chief technology officer at McAfee, explains that cybercriminals "add the number to their database so they can surgically target it for future scams."
Don't respond to text messages
These types of messages are currently wreaking havoc in the United States, says the FBI. Millions of fraudulent messages are constantly being sent to Americans' smartphones. According to research conducted by McAfee, one in four Americans has already received a malicious text message of this kind in their lifetime.
The rise of generative AI has made it considerably easier for hackers to orchestrate fake phone number scams, adds the American firm. Thanks to AI, scammers can send more personalized messages. They can identify your region of residence, search your social networks, and then guess who your friends and family are, all the better to trick you.
If you receive a text message like this from an unknown number, do not respond. Ignore the content of the message and block the phone number. This is the best way to avoid falling into a cybercriminal's trap.
Source: Forbes
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