There are quite a few email and text message scams circulating at the moment – two have been gaining a lot of traction in New Jersey. Here are some examples of what’s out there, as well as some tips for staying safe.
- SMS (or text message) scams
There are a number of text message scams circulating. Some say an Amazon package couldn’t be delivered, while others appear to be from banks or other respected institutions.
Remember:
- Government agencies, banks and other legitimate companies never ask for personal or financial information, like usernames, passwords, PINs, or credit or debit card numbers via text message.
- Don’t be rushed. Smishing (text-based phishing) scams attempt to create a false sense of urgency by implying that an immediate response is required or that there is a limited time to respond.
- Don’t “click” open links in unsolicited text messages. Clicking the link may infect your mobile device with a virus or malware designed to steal the personal or financial information stored on the device.
- Don’t call a telephone number listed in an unsolicited text message. Scam artists often use email-to-text technology, short codes, or spoofed local numbers to hide their identity. You should contact a bank, government, agency or company identified in the text message using the information listed in your records.
- COVID-19 vaccine count scams
Many of these are circulating. An email campaign targeting New Jersey state employees impersonated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It requested the recipient to click on a link in order to view a secured message to complete a count for COVID-19 vaccines. The link directs the user to a hacker’s webpage that attempts to collect personally identifiable information, including name, address, date of birth, driver’s license number, phone number and email address.
As always, you can stay safe by following these simple rules:
- Don't open an attachment unless you know who it is from and are expecting it.
- Never trust email messages that instruct you to enable macros before downloading Word or Excel attachments.
- If you receive an attachment from someone you don't know, don't open it.
Avoid email and text messages such as:
- Messages that contain threats to shut down your account.
- Requests for personal information such as passwords or Social Security numbers.
- Words like "Urgent" or that give a false sense of urgency.
- Poor writing or bad grammar.
You can often spot malicious emails by doing the following:
- Hover your mouse over links before you click on them to see if the URL looks legitimate.
And of course:
- Don't give your email address to sites you don't trust.
- Don't post your email address to public websites or forums. Spammers often scan these sites for email addresses.
- Don't click the "unsubscribe" link in a spam email. It would only let the spammer know your address is legitimate, which could lead to you receiving more spam.
- Understand that reputable businesses will never ask for personal information via email.
- Don't send personal information in an email message.
- Don't reply to spam. Be aware that if you reply to a spam email, your reply most likely will not go back to the original spammer because the FROM header in the spam message will most likely be forged.
- Don't share or reuse passwords.
Last, but not least, if you receive an email that directs you to a website or some online service, instead of clicking on the included link, open a new browser window and navigate to the website that way. You’re always safe if you do that.