Better Business Bureau Issues Texting Scam Alert

On September 30, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) issued a scam alert urging consumers to be aware that scammers are trying to gain your trust and ultimately, your money using text messages with a spoofed caller ID. The BBB says the scam is hard to spot at first glance as the text message appears to be coming from someone you are familiar with.

Scammers send you a text message that show up on your phone as "Mom," "Dad," or some other familiar person that most everyone has; scammers are betting on the fact that many people have "Mom" or "Dad" saved in their contact list and are hoping you respond without thinking to double check the phone number. Often "Mom" is out shopping and left her bank or credit card at home and is asking for your help by sending $100 so she can finish up the grocery shopping. If you respond by transferring money to a bank or digital wallet account, your money will be gone for good.

The BBB offers several tips for spotting fake emergency text messages. First, if anything about the message is unusual, consider it a red flag. If your parents never send text messages, it's likely not them texting you now. Likewise, if they do text yet never ask you for money, be cautious about responding. Watch for the message thread. If you do text with your parents, you should be able to see previous messages they have sent you. If you don't see any earlier messages, it's probably a scammer contacting you for the first time.

Call your parents to confirm their story. It's a good idea to examine the phone number attached to any incoming text message to make sure it matches mom or dad's.

Don't be fooled if the scammer has personal information about you. Because of data breaches and social media posts, scammers can find personal information about you including where you work and your parent's names.

If you suspect a scammer may be texting you, block the number and delete the message. Keep in mind that if you do respond it lets scammers know they have found an active number and could target you again in the future.

If you've been the victim of a scam, you can report it to the BBB's Scam Tracker at http://www.bbb.org.