How to Know If a Text Is a Scam: Tips & Strategies
Dave Moore - June 22, 2025
In today’s digital world, scam text messages have become an alarming and widespread problem. On average, Americans receive between 40 and 63 scam texts each month, and this number is steadily increasing.
In May 2025 alone, over 19 billion spam texts were sent nationwide, equivalent to nearly 63 scam texts per person for that month. Studies show that more than 80% of U.S. adults encounter at least one scam text weekly, and about 13% receive 10 or more each week.
Recognizing the signs of scam texts is crucial for protecting your personal information and preventing financial loss. In this guide, you’ll learn how to spot scam texts, understand common tactics scammers use, and discover practical steps to stay safe from text message fraud.
What Are Scam Texts?
Scam texts, often referred to as “smishing” (SMS phishing), are fraudulent messages sent to trick recipients into revealing personal information, clicking on malicious links, or sending money. These texts impersonate trusted organizations, such as banks, government agencies, delivery services, or even friends and family.
Common types of scam texts include fake bank alerts that ask you to verify your account, bogus delivery notifications urging you to click a suspicious link, lottery or prize scams promising winnings in exchange for upfront fees, and urgent messages that create fear or pressure to act quickly.
Scammers often employ psychological tactics, such as creating a sense of urgency, instilling fear, and piquing curiosity, to lure their victims. Recognizing these tactics and understanding common scams can help you avoid falling prey. For more examples and detailed explanations, check out 10 common text message scams that you should watch out for.
How to Know If a Text Is a Scam: Key Identifiers
Text message scams are a growing problem that targets millions of Americans every day. Learning how to spot a scam text is vital to protect your personal information and financial security.
Here are the key identifiers to watch for, each explained in detail with real-world examples:
1. The Message Is Unexpected or Irrelevant
One of the most obvious signs that a text may be a scam is that it arrives unexpectedly, especially if you haven’t interacted with the sender before. Scammers send mass messages in the hope of catching people off guard.
Example: You receive a text saying, “Your package from FedEx is waiting. Click here to reschedule.” But you haven’t ordered anything. Legitimate delivery companies rarely contact customers without prior orders.
Other irrelevant texts might reference contests or sweepstakes you never entered, such as “Congratulations! You’ve won $10,000 in the Mega Prize Draw. Reply YES to claim.” If you didn’t enter, it’s almost certainly a scam.
2. Urgent Language Pressuring Immediate Action
Scammers create a false sense of urgency to push you into quick decisions without thinking critically. They might threaten account suspension, legal action, or missed payments.
Example: A text reads, “Your bank account has been compromised. Verify your details within 30 minutes or your account will be frozen.” Real institutions typically provide reasonable timeframes and never request verification through text messages.
Urgency can cause people to act emotionally, which scammers exploit to steal data or money before you have a chance to verify the claim.
3. Suspicious or Unknown Sender Number
Legitimate businesses usually send texts from short codes (5-6 digit numbers) or recognizable company numbers. If you get a message from a long, strange number, it should raise red flags.
Example: Receiving a message from a number like “+1 (800) 555-1234” is more common for banks, but a random 11-digit or alphanumeric sender is suspicious. Sometimes, scammers spoof numbers, so even familiar numbers should be treated with caution.
If you don’t recognize the number or it doesn’t match the official contact information, don’t respond or click any links before verifying it using a reverse phone lookup service.
4. Poor Grammar, Spelling, and Awkward Sentence Structure
Professional organizations take care in their communications. Scam texts often have obvious errors that indicate they were not professionally crafted.
Example: You might see a message like, “Your account will be blocked unless you update ur info here.” The misspellings and odd grammar are telltale signs of a scam.
Other signs include unusual spacing, punctuation errors, or sentences that don’t quite make sense.
5. Requests for Personal or Financial Information
Legitimate companies and government agencies do not ask for sensitive information via text. Never provide passwords, Social Security numbers, credit card details, or bank account numbers over SMS.
Example: A text that says, “Reply with your Social Security Number to confirm your identity” is a red flag. Providing such info can lead to identity theft and financial fraud.
Always question any unsolicited request for personal details, primarily through insecure channels like SMS.
6. Suspicious Links or Attachments
Scammers use links to direct victims to fake websites, which are designed to steal login credentials or install malware on devices. Some scam messages also contain attachments, which can be dangerous and may include malware.
Example: A link might look like “www.bankofarnerica.com/login” instead of “bankofamerica.com.” These small changes in spelling, known as typosquatting, trick users into believing the site is genuine.
Avoid clicking links in texts unless you have independently verified the source. When in doubt, consult our list of scamming websites and visit the official website by typing the URL yourself. Also, never open unexpected attachments.
7. Too Good to Be True Offers
Messages promising free prizes, gift cards, or offers for credit cards with extremely low rates are classic tactics scammers use to lure victims.
Example: “Get a $500 Amazon gift card! Click here to claim now.” If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
These offers often require you to provide payment information or complete surveys that collect personal data for fraudulent purposes.
8. Impersonal or Generic Greetings
Many scam texts use generic greetings, such as “Dear Customer” or “Hello,” or no greeting at all. Legitimate companies often personalize messages using your name or account information.
Example: A text reading, “Hello, your account has been suspended,” without mentioning your name or account details, is suspicious.
While not always a guarantee, impersonal messages are a warning sign to proceed cautiously. We recommend that you read our in-depth handbook on scammer phone number lookup to learn more about how to protect your privacy (and money).
What to Do If You Receive a Scam Text
Receiving a scam text can be unsettling, but knowing the proper steps can help you stay safe and protect your information. Here’s what you should do if you suspect a text message is a scam:
- Do not respond or engage: Avoid replying to the message, even if it asks questions or demands information. Responding can confirm your number is active to scammers.
- Never click on links or download attachments: Links in scam texts often lead to phishing sites or install malware that can steal your data or harm your device.
- Do not provide personal or financial information: Legitimate organizations will not ask for sensitive information via text. If asked, it’s a scam.
- Report the scam text: Forward the message to your mobile carrier by sending it to 7726 (SPAM). You can also report scams to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
- Block the sender: Use your phone’s features to block the number to prevent further incoming messages.
- Use tools to verify unknown senders: Reverse phone lookup services, such as those provided by Information.com, can help confirm if a number is associated with scams or fraud.
Taking these actions promptly reduces the risk of falling victim to text scams and helps protect others by alerting authorities to potential threats.
How to Protect Yourself From Text Scams
Protecting yourself from scam texts requires vigilance and some proactive steps. Here are effective ways to reduce your risk:
- Enable spam and scam filters: Most smartphones and mobile carriers offer built-in or downloadable spam filtering tools. Turning these on can block many scam messages before they reach you.
- Avoid sharing personal information via text: Never disclose passwords, Social Security numbers, or financial details through SMS, even if the message appears urgent or official.
- Use multi-factor authentication (MFA): Adding MFA to your accounts adds an extra layer of security, making it harder for scammers to access your information even if they have your password.
- Verify suspicious messages independently: If a message claims to be from your bank or another institution, contact the company directly using known phone numbers or websites. Never rely solely on contact info from the text.
- Keep your phone’s software updated: Regular updates patch security vulnerabilities that scammers may exploit.
- Stay informed, educate yourself, and others: Stay informed about the latest scam tactics and share this knowledge with family and friends to help protect them too.
Following these tips helps you stay one step ahead of scammers and can significantly reduce your exposure to scam texts, while also helping to keep your data secure.
How to Know if a Text Is a Scam: Stay Vigilant and Protect Yourself
With scam texts reaching record numbers, it’s more important than ever to stay vigilant. Recognizing warning signs, such as unexpected messages, urgent demands, unknown sender numbers, and requests for personal or financial information, is crucial to protecting yourself.
Always verify unfamiliar texts using trusted tools and report suspicious messages promptly. By staying informed and cautious, you can protect your personal information and keep scammers at bay.
Stay cautious, stay informed, and don’t let scammers take advantage of you.
