Effective Strategies to Fight Text Fraud and Safeguard Your Financial Security

If you have a cell phone, you probably use it dozens of times a day to text people you know. But have you ever gotten a text message from an unknown sender? It could be a scammer trying to steal your personal and financial information. Here’s how to handle and report unwanted text messages.

Spam Text Messages and Phishing

Example Pictured Here

Scammers send fake text messages to trick you into giving them your personal information — things like your password, account number, or Social Security number. If they get that information, they could gain access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers.

Scammers often try to get you to click on links in text messages by promising you something.

In this example, the fraudster is pretending you are locked out of your account due to fraudulent activity, when that is not the case.

These schemes try to get customers to click on links and give them access to sensitive information. TheyFraudster might also offer free prizes or coupons that aren't real. Another popular scheme is to promise to help pay off student loans or other debts, but then never follow through. Scammers might also send you messages about 'suspicious' activity on your account that isn't real, or claim there's a problem with your payment information. 

The messages might ask you to give some personal information — like how much money you make, how much you owe, or your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number — to claim your gift or pursue the offer. Or they might tell you to click on a link to learn more about the issue. Some links might take you to a spoofed website that looks real but isn’t. If you log in, the scammers then might steal your username and password.

Other messages might install harmful malware on your phone that steals your personal or financial information without you realizing it.

If you get a text message you weren’t expecting and it asks you to give some personal or financial information, don’t click on any links. Legitimate companies won’t ask for information about your account by text. 

Call Customer Service To Report UBank Impersonators!

If you get a text like the one pictured above, or even a suspicious phone call, from someone claiming to be with UBank, double check before responding! Please remember that we will never send you text messages or phone calls asking for sensitive information like your online banking usernames, password, social security number, or any kind of payment collection. 

If something seems off, it probably is... so if you receive a fraudulent phishing text, call, or email, please give our customer service team a call at (936) 639-5566 to report the fraudster!