Government agency reminds customers to be vigilant against spam texts

T-Mobile was the target of a recent text scam that promised a free gift to customers who paid their bills on time. The problem though is that there is no such offer being promised by the Un-carrier. 

Reports reveal that when you click on the link on one of these texts, you will be prompted to a malicious website. If you click on the site, malware may be installed on your device and steal some of your valuable information. 

While the best way (right now) to deal with these texts is to simply block them, the problem is– they are being sent in a group message. And this is something you cannot block. 

Because of the nature of these texts, the government has issued a warning against unblockable phishing attacks. After receiving several complaints from victims, the New Jersey Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) has issued a warning. 

The agency, which is part of the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, believes that the phishing attacks are possible due to the previous data breaches encountered by T-Mobile. However, T-Mobile has debunked this claim and says they are doing its best to protect its customers against such text messages. 

For now, the Un-carrier reminds its customers to be vigilant against these types of text messages. 

“As we detect new spam attacks from bad actors, we update our filters to block texts with known malicious links. We also encourage consumers to be cautious with engaging with unknown senders or unexpected messages. Don’t click on the links or reply to a group thread that contains people you do not know.

You can mute the text thread to stop getting alerts if anyone replies by following your phone manufacturer’s instructions. And while it won’t stop the replies, you can also delete the thread and messages. Customers can report spam by forwarding the message to 7726 (SPAM).”

Source: Wirefly