There are plenty of times you're likely eager to hear from your phone carrier: when service outages are ending, when a bill is due, or when new products are being rolled out, just to name a few. However, you might want to pay slightly closer attention to those messages right now, especially if you use T-Mobile. Customers of the telecommunications giant are being targeted in a new scam, and if you're not careful, it could put your information in the wrong hands. Read on to discover how to spot the scam and what to do if you've been targeted.
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Scammers are texting T-Mobile customers, promising a free gift.
rafapress/ShutterstockScammers are targeting T-Mobile customers through a new text message con. The grift starts when you receive a text message that appears to be from T-Mobile, The T-Mo Report first noted on Oct. 2. The text message says that you may have been affected by a T-Mobile service outage and that the company wants to compensate you for the inconvenience.
Once you click the link included in the message, you're brought to a page that asks you to complete a survey. However, the terms and conditions section of the message indicates that the supposed giveaway isn't actually affiliated with T-Mobile at all.
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If you receive the message, don't reply to it.
Shutterstock/ImYanisUnfortunately for scammers, the grift isn't always sophisticated enough to trick tech-savvy customers. According to commenters on the T-Mobile Reddit who've been subject to the scam, the links directing T-Mobile customers to the giveaway page are often not disguised, but clearly link to a non-T-Mobile site.
If you do receive the message, it's important that you don't reply to it; instead, you should delete it immediately, even if you want to let the scammer know you’re on to them. Antivirus and security software company Norton reports that, if you do reply to a phony text, it lets scammers know that your number is associated with a real person. Once armed with this information, they can sell your data to other scammers, who may bombard you with additional messages trying to con you.
The scam may be related to an August 2021 data breach.
ShutterstockWhile T-Mobile has not confirmed the source of the latest text scam, some Redditors have expressed their belief that the con may be related to the T-Mobile data breach that occurred in 2021.
"We have verified that a subset of T-Mobile data had been accessed and/or acquired by unauthorized individuals and the data stolen from our systems did include some personal information," including customers' names, dates of birth, Social Security and government ID numbers, and T-Mobile prepaid PINs, the company announced in a statement at the time.
If you have clicked on the link, taking specific measures can protect your information.
KT Stock photos / ShutterstockIf you've received the giveaway email and have either intentionally or accidentally clicked on the link, there are ways to ensure that your personal information isn't further compromised.
T-Mobile recommends that anyone who has clicked on a suspicious link on a T-Mobile device reset their T-Mobile password, as well as choosing new passwords for their social media and bank accounts. Additionally, customers can copy the message and send it to 7226 to report it as spam. The scam should also be reported to the Federal Trade Commission's fraud reporting website.
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