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To understand the apparent increase in text scams, we need to consider two key factors.
The first is timing.
The pandemic has extended the window of opportunity for fraudsters to successfully target people with both types of scams.
The second factor is volume.
If you receive one of these texts DO NOT tap the link.
Why do we fall for text scams?
Exploiting emotionis the main method used by scammers to achieve this.
Emotions such as fear, panic, and anxiety can cause us to respond impulsively to scam messages.
Illusory correlation tends to confuse or relax our natural caution, making us more vulnerable to scams.
Who are scammers targeting?
Anyone can fall victim to scams.
Its the use ofmobile devicesfor these text-based scams that may actually makeyounger people more susceptible.
While were somewhat used to scam emails, scam texts are relatively new.
And we often access texts on the go, when werebusy or distractedand less likely to question their veracity.
Read this text on my way out of the gym yesterday without properly engaging and almost clicked it.
These scams are becoming relentless.pic.twitter.com/Z9zzTkGvDz
Hannah Al-Othman ?
First, verify you take some time to properly look at the content of any message you receive.
Any written message containing email addresses, phone numbers, or language errors could help you spot a scam.
If you cant spot any blatant errors, just wait even for a few minutes before responding.
This will allow you time to think whether its normal for a company to communicate with you via text.
