The Better Business Bureau is advising area residents to be wary of unsolicited text messages appearing to come from wrong numbers. These communications often appear to use a photo of a young woman who is trying to text a friend. They may be a premise to a more sinister “romance scam” or a way for con artists to simply collect working cell phone numbers for future scam attempts.
“I did a double-take,” says Tom Bartholomy, CEO of the Charlotte BBB. “It’s a different approach than most scammers take and I didn’t think anything too seriously until more of my friends started to say that they also received it.”
A quick search on TinEye.com and Google Images reveals other users on the internet who reported receiving the screenshot.
“It’s obvious that the scammers are trying to elicit a response, such as sympathy, to this woman for receiving a fake number from a friend but we need to remind consumers that appearances can be deceiving.”
Better Business Bureau is providing these additional tips for local consumers who are looking to steer clear of text messaging scams.
Be Skeptical – Strangers on the internet can pretend to be anyone. Question motives behind both solicited and unsolicited messages.
Check for Spelling and Grammatical Errors – While not all scammers have poor grammar, many fraudsters are located off-shore do. Carefully check over communications and analyze them for any inconsistencies.
Guard Personal Information and…
