The Text Messages You Should Never Respond To Because Scammers Use Them To Steal Your Personal Info, Experts Say

Urgent Messages

Scammers often send messages that sound urgent — and this isn’t by accident. The goal with urgent-sounding messages is that they will trigger an emotional response in the recipient that gets them to respond and act without thinking logically.

These messages run the gamut. They can include fake delivery messages that claim they are from Fed Ex or UPS and that they have a package of yours that will be returned immediately if you don’t click on a link and provide more information (such as your address or credit card info). They may also claim things like your account will be suspended if you don’t change your password — which, of course, gives scammers access to a new password that you create.

Few legitimate companies are going to send you urgent or threatening emails that require you to take action right away (or else suffer some kind of consequence). One of your first clues that a text message may not be legit is that it makes it sound as if a house is on fire and you are the only one who can put out that fire. The demand for data is another hint. And you should never click on links from senders you don’t know — they can lead to malware or spyware being downloaded onto your device.

Always verify the source by contacting the company the sender claims to be from directly.