If you see a mysterious message on your cellphone that looks as if it came from your own phone number and has a link attached to it, do not click the link.
We repeat: Do not click the link.
Verizon customers this week have reported receiving text messages that appear to be coming from themselves.
The spam messages include a link with the following text: “Free Msg: Your bill is paid for March. Thanks, here’s a little gift for you.”
Many people have reported the scam texts to Verizon, and the company is investigating the issue further as a result.
The company says it is aware of the messages and is working with law enforcement to put an end to them.
“As part of a recent fraud scheme, bad actors have been sending text messages to some Verizon customers which appear to come from the customers’ own number. Over the past 48 hours, our company has made a significant effort to limit the current activity,” Verizon spokesperson Rich Young told NJ Advance Media in a statement.
“However, attempted fraud using SMS spam is an issue that’s been impacting virtually all wireless providers in recent months. We are actively working with others in our industry and with U.S. Law Enforcement as part of an investigation aimed at identifying and stopping these fraudsters and their illegal actions. We will continue this work on behalf of our customers. In addition, we have no indication of any Russian involvement,” Young added.
It is unclear who is sending the text messages, but hackers often use this tactic to gain access to sensitive information.
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Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.