COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Scammers have gone “smishing” and apparently made quite the catch. That term is used to describe scams sent to cell phones through text messages.
According to new data from the Federal Trade Commission, in 2024, consumers reported losing $470 million to scams that started with text messages.
While there are several varieties of tactics, there are a handful that account for about half of all text frauds reported.
“I still get the ‘Your UPS package is delayed. Click here,'” said Sammi Nachtigal, an attorney for the FTC.
She said messages about package deliveries were the most reported text scam last year; those messages claim there’s a problem with a delivery and include a link to a website that looks like the real deal but isn’t.
“There are also scams that target young folks,” Nachtigal said. “There are job search scams that are going to target those young folks because there’s big money to move there and they’re going to be predators in that space.”
Those phony job opportunities often offer work without specifics. At some point, people are told to send money to finish their tasks and withdraw their supposed earnings. But people who sent money said they never saw it again.
“A lot of times, it’s really hard to get your money back,” Nachtigal said. “The reason being, scammers want you to pay in a certain way and they’ll direct you to pay with a gift card, with a wire transfer, and they’re doing that because those are hard methods to get your money back. But moving quickly is your best bet if you’re going to have any chance of recouping some of that loss or stopping that transfer.”
The other top tactics are:
- Fake fraud alerts that appear to come from legitimate banks or businesses.
- Those pesky “unpaid toll” texts.
- “Wrong number” texts, that aren’t.
“So, we all encounter these scams,” Nachtigal said. “What makes the difference is how do we respond to them.”
The best way to respond, according to the FTC:
- Ignore the original message.
- If you have a concern, reach out to the business or entity on your own.
- Then report it to an established agency.
The agency offers more information about text scams and how to report them here.
