The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) advises users of Android and iPhone in the United States to delete all suspicious text messages that seem to be scams, Forbes reported. The FBI has urged users to “ Do not leave them on your phone ” to delete messages in the middle of an alert on text messages.
Here is everything you need to know
This warning comes after the Federal Trade Commission has published an alert on fraudulent text messages which wrongly claim that individuals owe money for unpaid road tolls.
“If you have received an informed text, you need money for unpaid road tolls,” it’s probably a scam, “said the FTC.
He added: “The crooks claim to be toll agencies from one ocean to another and to send SMS demanding money.”
The FTC warned that the crooks steal not only the money, but “if you click on the link, they could obtain your personal information (such as the driving license number) – and even steal your identity.”
Recent scam alert sent to this city
A recent alert was issued to residents of Great Falls, in Montana, on February 7, warning them of the current scam. According to the notification, he warned the inhabitants saying: “Great Falls, be on the lookout for this text scam! Some local people recently received a text referring to their vehicle with an “exceptional toll bill”. It is a scam and does not come from the city of Great Falls. Please do not click on the link in the message. Not just Montana, the report said that many other American states in Florida, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Washington also reported these scams.
How to prevent you from the scam? The FBI says this
“Check your account using the legitimate toll service website [or] Contact the telephone service phone number of the toll service, ”said the FBI, according to the Forbes report.
But if you have already been the victim of the scam, he urged users to “make efforts to secure your personal information and your financial accounts [and] contest the unknown accusations. “”
Who is behind the scam?
According to the Knowbe4 Report, the culprit behind the scam is likely to be gangs using “updated commercial phishing kits developed by groups of Chinese cybercriminals”. The report added that the kit includes models designed specifically to usurp the identity of toll operators in several states.
In addition to tolls, he said that these culprits “used similar tactics to pretend to be maritime companies, tax agencies and immigration services, often targeting new people in a country or in vulnerable positions”, According to the report.
The main objective is to steal information on the payment card, store it in mobile portfolios and use it for fraudulent purchases or whiten money through false companies.
False text scams in India
Similar scams have also occurred in India. The fact verification of the facts of the Press Information Office (GDP) exhibited an SMS which circulates largely, wrongly pretending to come from Post India last year. The deceptive message urged the recipients to update their address details within a limited time to prevent the return of an supposed package. The verification of the GDPs confirmed that these messages are fully manufactured and designed to deceive without distrust individuals.
