What Are Text Message Scams and How to Stop Them

June 19, 2025 By Janne Smith No Comments 7 minutes

Remember the last time you received a text about winning the latest iPhone 16? Like all other text message scams, it came up with a sense of urgency. And, these texts are always too good to be true.

Millions of people receive these messages, and they aim for quick action. Sometimes, these messages might also include your personal information, such as faking a package delivery and prompting you to click on a link that can speed up the delivery, or something else.

Note: Text message scams start from a slight thread you leave online when browsing the web, i.e., your IP address. Your IP leaking out can result in scam texts and various other threats. We recommend connecting to a VPN, like FastestVPN, when online. It conceals your network traffic and encrypts it with AES 256-bit encryption.

What Are Text Message Scams?

Text message scams, often known as smishing, combine SMS (Short Message Service) and phishing. It includes deceptive messages for tricking people into revealing their personal information, primarily their financial details. The goal is to steal money, or sometimes, identities.

How Do Text Messaging Scams Work?

When was the last time your phone pinged with an SMS indicating an urgency, or mentioning that your bank account is about to close? That’s a scam text. According to Exploding Topics, over one-third of adults in the US have encountered a scam or financial fraud within the past year.

Here’s a breakdown of how text message scams work:

1. You get a fake message: You get a text pretending to be from a trusted source, like a bank or a delivery service.
2. There’s a Sense of urgency: The message will convey a sense of urgency to prompt you into clicking on the link without giving it a second thought.
3. You’re prompted to click a link: These texts often include a link or a contact number that prompts you to click on or dial. This will lead to the hacker stealing your information.
4. You install malware: Once you click on the link, you install malware on your device. It’ll disguise itself as a file, but secretly fish for sensitive information.
5. Hackers steal your data: Black hats now steal your information. They primarily target monetary details, such as your banking information.

Common Scam Text Messaging Examples

Here are 7 common scam text message examples:

1. Financial Scams

These messages try to create a sense of urgency. For example, “Your account is being locked due to suspicious activity. Verify your details now (malicious link)”. Once you click, wait for the malware to steal your sensitive information.

2. Prize Scams

These texts promise large sums of money that entice you. For example, you won a $1,000,000 or you’ve been selected for a special prize. You’ll either be asked to reply YES or click on a link to claim the price.

3. Government Scams

These often include threats of reclaiming funds to pressure you into action. For instance, it might ask you to pay taxes, renew your driving license, or something similar.

4. Utility Service Scams

You’ll be told about electricity bill overdues or suspicious activity on your phone number. Like previous examples, you’ll again be told to act via a link or a number.

5. Shipment Scams

Some packages take an eternity to deliver. And, shipment scams are often successful when you’re expecting a package. It might mention that the courier was unable to deliver the parcel or share a tracking number. These will be followed by a link that you’ll be prompted to click on.

6. Personal or Relationship Scams

If your friend keeps texting you to ask for money, who has barely said hi over the years. That’s a scammer behind the screen. Replying to these texts will install malware on your device.

7. Fake Notifications and Alerts

These scam texts mimic legit alerts from services that you already use. It might be an alert from Apple regarding your Apple ID, an access alert to your Amazon account, or anything similar. You’ll be requested to respond or click on a malicious link.

How to Identify a Scam Text Message

Scammers tend to quickly gain your trust. Meaning, they’ll create a sense of urgency or the text might be regarding something you actually own. For example, an Apple Cloud Subscription. Scam texts can be hard to identify. To make that simpler, here are 5 signs to look for when you get a text message:

1. Unknown Sender

The message comes from an unknown number instead of an official ID. While legitimate companies don’t ask for sensitive information, like passwords, if an unknown number asks for it then it might be a scam text.

2. Sense of Urgency

Scammers often try to create a sense of urgency to pressurize you into acting. For example, you’ll find the text saying something like “Act now”.

3. Too Good to Be True Offers

It can either be a cash prize, a gift voucher or sometimes a fake government text. Offers that sound too good to be true, like winning a million dollars, are scam messages.

4. Grammar Errors

Scammers aren’t great with their grammar; they’re rather focused on fishing for sensitive details than fixing their grammar. Look for the spellings and the tone used.

5. Suspicious Links

The message will feature suspicious links or ask you to respond to the text with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. As long as you’re pressured to act urgently, it’s a scam text.

How to Mitigate Text Messaging Scams

Here are 5 ways to mitigate text messaging scams:

1. Always Verify the Texts

Never trust the sender ID. Scammers often spoof phone numbers to make texts appear as if they’re coming from a legitimate source. Verify if the text seems to indicate an emergency, or if it’s too good to be true. Look for the red flags, such as poor grammar, generic greetings, or shortened URLs.

2. Never Respond to Suspicious Texts

Never reply to texts that prompt you to respond with a yes or no, or anything similar. Responding can lead to more spam and scam attempts. Moreover, you must never click on the attached links. Doing so can automatically download malware on your device and give access to your phone’s data, or turn it into a botnet.

3. Use a VPN

Connecting to a VPN to browse the web will conceal your IP address online. Meaning, your ISP or third parties can never monitor your browsing activities or access your personal information. For example, connecting to FastestVPN will encrypt your network traffic with AES 256-bit encryption. With no info leaking online, the chances of receiving scam texts decrease.

4. Run Antivirus Scans

Get a reliable antivirus, and run a full device scan, including the hard drives. If any threats are detected, the antivirus clears them before they result in potential data theft. Antiviruses and VPNs are must-haves in your devices.

5. Report Scam Texts

Report suspicious texts to your carrier. They’ll further investigate if the text was a scam or not. Reporting scam texts will help save others from falling prey to these scams.

Final Note

Scam messages may appear to be harmless; however, responding to them or performing the desired action can lead to serious consequences, such as data theft. Hackers primarily go for financial details, and sharing any sensitive information with a scam text, no matter how legitimate it looks, can get you in hot water.