May 19, 2022

Sabrina Dudley-Johnson

FibroDiva/Fibrocop

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Do you get those emails, texts and phone calls claiming that your bank account or credit cards are about to be permanently closed unless you verify that you are you still alive?

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Well, STOP, DON'T TOUCH THE BUTTON!!!!!

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I get so many of these that I'll go days without looking at a text or email.  I've stopped answering calls that show up on caller ID as "Scam Likely", "unavailable", "private", or, "unknown".

These annoying scam calls, emails, and text messages have hit epidemic level and many banks across the country have reported to the Better Business Bureau that their customers and continually subjected to them.  Most of these communications insinuate that they are from you bank or credit company and that for some reason your account information is out of date or there has been suspcious activity on your account.  No matter what ruse they use, their goal is to get you to click on a link or push a button on your phone getting you to a page or person who will ask for your personal information.  If you comply, soon you will lose your money or become a victim of identity threat.[1]

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There's another scam, the "Do You Know So and So" scam.  This writer has been getting communication looking for an alleged deadbeat something or other.  The voice mails and texts all basically go the same way.  The all say something like, "This is (scary official fill in a name) looking for (the king of deadbeats) who owes money on an outstanding (porn account, child support case, credit card debt - just pick whichever will make you give up you precious info).  Please call me at (1-800-4UR-Dumb) and provide us with your name, address, banking institution/account number/PIN, and social security number so we can verify that you are the king of deadbeats, or, that you do not know the king of deadbeats".  A couple of times I mistakenly answered the phone.  Once I realized there was a real, live person asking for this alleged person, I stated "cease and deceit, you have the wrong number." However the calls and texts keep coming.

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If you get one of these texts or calls, don't click on any links or verbally give any information.  Go to your bank or credit card company's website and search for the link within your account dashboard for messages.  If you have received a message similar to the text or call, then call your bank or credit card and ask if they are trying to contact you.  [2]

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Endnotes:

[1] Scam Alert: Ignore Phony Banking Texts and Phone Calls

Better Business Bureau

December 13, 2019

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[2] 5Ibid

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