Recently, there has been an increase in texting scams, also known as “smishing”. Officials said scammers begin sending out emails and texts disguised as legitimate messages from shipping and postal services around the holiday season. Scammers use texts and emails to trick people into installing malware onto their devices or giving up their personal information.
Whitney Adkins is the Strategic Manager for the Kentucky Better Business Bureau. She said victims of these scams can lose up to hundreds of dollars.
“It’s anywhere from under one-hundred bucks to a few hundred bucks or more. And it really depends on the exact nature of the particular scam and how much information they’re able to get from the victim,” said Adkins.
Many times, these package scams require victims to pay a bogus shipping fee. Adkins said not interacting with the messages is the best way to avoid getting personal information stolen.
“Do not click on any link in that message, just treat it as suspicious. If you’re concerned that it may be legitimate and you may have a package out there that can’t be delivered for whatever reason, your best bet is to go to the post officer directly or contact them directly,” said Adkins.
Adkins added everyone is at risk of falling victim to these smishing scams and anyone who receives a suspicious text or email should report it to the BBB website.