![]() There are many reasons people disclose their phone numbers online – filling out online forms, entering competitions or loyalty programs, and so on.If you list your phone number publicly on social media, there’s a high chance it exists in various marketing databases. Popular and well-known social networking platforms keep track of your online activity and pass the information on to advertisers. They may use technology to generate numbers automatically - so even if you have a brand-new number, you can still receive both robocalls and robotexts.There are many ways spammers get hold of your cell phone number so they can send SMS spam and sales texts: The golden rule of any scam, online or otherwise, is that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Is the message relevant to you? For example, if it informs you about a parcel delivery, did you order or were you expecting anything? If it informs you about a prize, did you enter a competition? If it’s about a gift card, is it from somewhere you have previously shopped?.Legitimate organizations rarely make glaring spelling or grammatical errors in customer communications. If a message doesn’t look professional, that’s a red flag that it’s probably a scam. Remember, genuine organizations don’t contact you out of the blue, asking you to disclose personal or financial details via a text message. If it isn’t via a text message, contact them directly to check if it’s legitimate. Think about how an organization usually contacts you. That said, if you’re wondering how to tell if a message is a scam, there are a few signs to watch out for: Scammers are getting more sophisticated at making scam text messages look authentic and often use identity masking technology to change the name displayed as the caller ID. Other SMS spam may install malware on your phone, which steals your personal information without you realizing it. The link then takes you to a fake website where, if you log in, the scammers can steal your login credentials. Or you may be asked to click on a link to learn more about the issue. ![]() Typically, the messages ask you to disclose some personal information – such as your bank or card details or Social Security number – to claim the gift or pursue the offer.
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