More than 376M SCAM messages sent daily to steal money, clone voices of Americans

By kevinhughes // 2023-03-28

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Scammers are sending more than 376 million fraudulent text messages to Americans on a daily basis to steal their money or clone their voices. These scam messages claim that the victims' accounts on different tech platforms are frozen or that their credit cards are expired. The scammers then urge victims to click on a link that asks for the targets' personal information. Another kind of scam, though more obscure than the latter, informs potential targets about a job opportunity. However, they must call a number at a particular time. Those who call this number will find that the other person on the line isn't actually a person, but an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to capture and clone their voice. If the victim calls and speaks over the phone for a few seconds, scammers can then use the victim's voice clip to scam others. According to a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) report, the number of robotext scam complaints between 2015 and 2022 soared from 3,300 to 18,900. It also added that in 2021 alone, Americans lost $10 billion to these scams. "Scam artists have found that sending us messages about a package you never ordered or a payment that never went through, along with a link to a shady website, is a quick and easy way to get us to engage on our devices and fall prey to fraud," FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel declared in a statement. The Federal Trade Commission warned Americans against these scams. "If you get a text message you weren't expecting and it asks you to give some personal or financial information, don't click on any links. Legitimate companies won't ask for information about your account by text. If you think the message might be real, contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real. Not the information in the text message."

Companies also warn against text scams

The scammers are also mentioning well-known names – such as Netflix and Amazon – to trick their victims into giving up their personal information. The streaming platform issued a statement, warning Americans about schemes declaring their their account is on hold and that there is a problem with their latest billing information. It said that the notice urges recipients to act within 48 hours by clicking on a link to fix the issue before their account is permanently suspended. Users who click on the link will be brought to a site resembling that of Netflix's official website. They will then be asked to re-enter their credit card information, which the scammer then steals. Amazon is also being name-dropped for these fraudulent actions the deceive people into giving scammers their personal details. The Big Tech company headed by Jeff Bezos advised people not to share their personal info. (Related: Amazon Echo devices can be exploited by hackers to steal your bank account information.) There are two types of scams involving Amazon. The first one involves users' accounts being suspended after a security check, with a link being provided to "confirm" their credentials. The second one involves a purported purchase of a high-priced product alongside a number for victims to clarify if the purchase was a mistake. Last May, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) issued a warning after people received text messages from a bank, alerting them to a fraudulent activity or an update to a financial account. The BBB said scammers will use the opportunity to acquire a person's banking information, such as a website asking for an ATM card number and PIN under the guise of reactivating one's ATM card. It added the link may download malicious software that provides scammers access to anything on the phone. Follow Glitch.news for more news about hackers using scam text messages. Watch this video with 10 tips about improving online security and stopping hackers. This video is from the Hackers Beware channel on Brighteon.com.

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Companies also warn against text scams

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