A man sits anxiously on the edge of his couch while holding his phone. Scammers send text scams because they can easily be implemented on a wide scale, and victims may let their guard down and act quickly.
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Your phone buzzes. A message pops up saying your package couldn't be delivered, or you haven’t paid your taxes. The message looks legitimate, garnished with an official-looking link, but the second you click it, you know you’re in trouble.
Text scams — fraudulent messages sent by cybercriminals pretending to be legitimate entities — have become one of the most profitable forms of digital crime in the U.S. and globally. They’re getting harder and harder to discern by the day. Knowing the warning signs and keeping track of how text scams evolve may be one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself and the people you love.
A text scam, also called “smishing” (a portmanteau of SMS and phishing), is a fraudulent text message used to trick the recipient into handing over money, clicking a malicious link or sharing personal information. In 2024, Americans reported losing $470 million to scams that originated with a text message, five times more than what was reported just four years earlier in 2020, according to the Federal Trade Commission data.
Text-based job scams are a popular and rapidly growing tool within text scams. By 2024, reports of text-based job scams had risen to 20,673, with losses increasing to $61.2 million, according to CNBC. In comparison, consumers reported 4,872 reports in 2020, which resulted in $2 million in losses.
Scammers use text messages because they are affordable, easily automated and highly effective. People instinctively trust texts and tend to open them immediately. The urgency with which people treat text messages, combined with their automation capacity at scale make text scams a quick, easy medium to reach many. Scammers can send thousands of messages simultaneously via computers and voice over internet protocol for practically nothing.
Artificial intelligence has further lowered the barrier to entry for online scammers and has been a major contributor to the surge and evolution of text scams. Dark web AI text tools such as FraudGPT and WormGPT are designed to generate convincing scam language and fake documents, while text-based gen AI tools such as chatbots can create credible, well-polished content for scammers to implement during AI scams, mimicking the tone of any legitimate professional entity within seconds.
Cybersecurity researchers at Sift found that scams broadly identified as AI-enabled rose by 456% between May 2024 and April 2025. The old tells — misspellings, clunky phrasing, typos, obviously fake logos — are disappearing as AI tools allow scammers to craft grammatically correct messages at scale and at speed, making even cautious recipients more vulnerable. Text messages also have an open rate of up to 98%, per FTC data.
Most scam texts share a handful of structural features regardless of their specific theme. If you can train yourself to recognize these patterns, you'll catch the majority of fraudulent messages quickly. The danger of missing these signs can be severe: clicking a link in a scam text can result in identity theft, drained bank accounts, malware installed on your phone or credit card fraud that takes months to unwind.
Below are the most reliable warning signs that a text message is not what it claims to be.
The single most consistent feature of a scam text is pressure. Scammers need you to act before you think, which means the message will almost always frame the situation as time-sensitive or threatening. Phrases like "your account will be suspended in 24 hours" or "you must respond immediately to avoid a fine” are designed to short-circuit your instinct to pause and verify. Legitimate organizations — banks, government agencies, delivery services — do not communicate via threatening text messages demanding instant action.
Genuine companies texting customers typically use five- or six-digit short codes — the kind you see when your bank sends a one-time verification code. Scam messages frequently arrive from long, unfamiliar phone numbers, sometimes with unusual country codes. Scammers can also "spoof" phone numbers, making a message appear to come from a number you recognize, including sometimes a number that looks like it belongs to your bank or a government agency.
Norton notes that texts from non-U.S. country codes claiming to be from U.S.-based services are a significant red flag. If you get a message that seems to be from USPS or your bank but the number looks odd or international, do not engage.
A link is often the core mechanism of a text scam. The goal is to get you to click through to a fake website where you'll enter your personal or payment information. Scammers frequently disguise links using URL shorteners or by using domains that closely mimic legitimate ones — think "usps-delivery-update.com" instead of "usps.com," or a string of random characters before a recognizable word.
According to Verizon, a suspicious-looking link in a text message is itself a scam signal, regardless of whether anything else in the message appears off. The safest rule: never click a link in an unexpected text.
No legitimate bank, government agency, business or professional entity will ask you to provide your Social Security number, credit card details, account passwords or PIN via text message. A text requesting any of that information — even while asking you to "verify" your identity or "confirm" a transaction — is a scam. “Remember that government agencies and legitimate companies will never text you asking for account details,” notes Bank of America's security guidance. “If there’s any doubt, contact that person or organization through another trusted channel.”
The same caution applies to gift cards. If a message asks you to buy gift cards and share the redemption codes, stop immediately. This is a payment method scammers favor precisely because it is nearly impossible to reverse.
An unsolicited text from an organization you didn't contact, about a situation you have no reason to believe is true, is a strong scam indicator. You haven't ordered anything, but you're getting a delivery problem notification. Scammers operate at volume. They send millions of messages hoping a certain percentage will happen to resonate with recipients or may get confused and click the link if the text is framed resonantly and urgently enough. If you receive an unexpected text, treat it as suspicious by default.
Real companies that communicate with you by text usually know your name and some basic details about your account. Scam texts, which are sent in bulk to lists of numbers, typically open with "Dear Customer," "Hi there," or "Valued User." Norton flags these generic greetings as a sign that the sender doesn't know who you are. They're blasting the same message to thousands of numbers hoping some percentage will bite.
There is a chilling caveat worth noting: AI is now helping scammers overcome this weakness. Some more sophisticated operations pull personal data from breaches or data brokers to personalize messages. A text that uses your name is not automatically safe.
While AI has made grammatical errors less common in scam texts, they haven't disappeared entirely. Awkward phrasing, inconsistent capitalization, missing articles or oddly formal language are all signs of a hastily written or automatically generated message. Be particularly alert to domain names or links within the text that contain misspellings of well-known brands.
Text scams tend to cluster around a handful of proven schemes. The FTC’s 2024 data spotlight identified five categories that together accounted for roughly half of all text fraud reports: fake package delivery notifications, bogus job offers (including “task scams”), fake bank fraud alerts, fake unpaid toll warnings and "wrong number” scams.
The most reported text scam in 2024 was rather convincing: a message purportedly from USPS, FedEx or UPS claiming there's a problem with your delivery. The text typically says a package is on hold due to an incorrect address, unpaid postage, mixed up package or a missed delivery attempt, and provides a link to "resolve" the issue. The link leads to a fake website that mimics the real carrier's site closely enough to fool many visitors, where you'll be asked to pay a small "redelivery fee" and enter your credit card information.
The FTC and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service both clearly state that the USPS does not send unsolicited text messages about delivery problems. If you're expecting a package, track it by going directly to the carrier's official website.
You receive a text from what appears to be your bank’s fraud department: a large, suspicious purchase has been flagged on your account. The message asks you to confirm or dispute the charge. The goal is to either harvest your login credentials through a fake banking portal or, in the more elaborate version, connect you with a fake "fraud specialist" who will walk you through "returning" money to your account — which actually transfers funds directly to the scammer.
Anyone who has a bank account is potentially a target here. If you receive this kind of alert, call your bank using the number printed on the back of your debit card, not any number provided in the text.
The FBI reportedly received more than 60,000 complaints about fake unpaid toll texts in 2024. The messages impersonate well-known toll programs — E-ZPass, FasTrak, SunPass, EZDriveMA — and warn of a small outstanding balance (usually $3 to $12) that must be paid immediately to avoid a larger fine. Recipients who click through find a convincing replica of the toll authority's website. When they enter their payment information, it goes straight to the scammer.
The Utah Division of Consumer Protection notes that legitimate toll authorities in the U.S. do not collect fees via unsolicited text message — and some, like the Utah DOT, have publicly confirmed they never contact drivers by text at all.
You receive a text from a supposed recruiter offering part-time work that involves completing simple, repetitive “tasks” online — rating products, liking videos, creating content, reviewing restaurant listings. The job is framed as flexible, easy, and well-paid. Initially, a small amount of money appears in an account set up for you on a fake platform.
Then comes the trap. To unlock your earnings or complete more lucrative assignments, you’re told to deposit your own money first. Once you do, both the deposit and your supposed earnings disappear, and the scammer moves on. The FTC advises treating any unsolicited job offer that arrives by text with extreme skepticism, particularly one that involves sending money as part of the work itself.
A text that seems clearly misdirected, perhaps a friendly greeting or an invitation to coffee that seems meant for someone else. If you reply, the "accidental" contact becomes the opening gambit of a long con. The scammer builds a friendly or even romantic connection. Eventually, they present themselves as a savvy investor and offer to cut you in on a deal through a platform they control.
According to the FTC, these scams frequently escalate into significant investment losses once the victim is emotionally invested in the relationship. The advice: don't respond to texts that appear to be from a wrong number.
Scammers posing as IRS agents, Social Security Administration officials, or Medicare representatives use texts to threaten recipients with arrest, benefit termination or heavy fines unless they act immediately. These messages often hit hardest during tax seasons but circulate year-round. The core claim is always some version of: you owe money or have a serious legal problem, and only fast action can fix it.
But the IRS typically initiates contact with taxpayers by mail, not text. It does not demand immediate payment through gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency. Any text claiming to be from a federal agency and requesting urgent financial action is a scam.
"Congratulations! You've been selected to receive a $1,000 Amazon gift card. Click here to claim your reward." These messages exploit the instinct toward optimism. The link leads either to a phishing site that harvests your personal information or to a fake prize-claiming process that eventually requires you to pay "processing fees" or "shipping" to receive a reward that doesn't exist and is designed to set you up.
The FTC has reported that gift card scams, where victims purchase real gift cards and share the redemption codes, have cost Americans hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
A text claiming to be from Apple, Microsoft, or your phone carrier warns that your device has been compromised, that a virus has been detected, or your account is at risk. It provides a number to call or a link to install a "security tool." Calling that number connects you with a fake support agent who will try to gain remote access to your device or charge hundreds of dollars for bogus services. Legitimate tech companies don’t proactively text consumers about security threats while encouraging them to click on suspicious links.
More sophisticated than a simple wrong-number opener, romance scams involve extended campaigns to build trust and emotional attachment before making any financial request. Scammers pose as military personnel, offshore engineers, successful professionals — personas that explain why they can't meet in person. Once a relationship has developed, financial requests follow: help with a medical emergency, a family situation, a business investment, travel costs to finally meet. AARP's Fraud Watch Network documented cases where victims lost their entire retirement savings.
You receive a text containing a verification code, followed immediately by another message — supposedly from your bank, email provider, phone/WiFi company or social media platform — saying that someone is trying to access your account and that you should share the code to stop them. In reality, a scammer is attempting to log into your account using your actual credentials (possibly obtained in a data breach) and needs the real verification code you just received to complete the process. Never share a one-time verification code with anyone.
If you think you might have fallen for a text scam, act quickly. Time matters: the faster you move, the better your chances of limiting the damage. Here are the steps to take.
1. Stop contact immediately. Do not respond further. Block the number.
2. If you shared financial information, call your bank or card issuer right away. Ask them to freeze or close the compromised account and issue new card numbers. Many fraudulent charges can be reversed if caught quickly enough.
3. If you shared your Social Security number or other identity documents, file a report at IdentityTheft.gov, which is run by the FTC and will walk you through a personalized recovery plan. You should also place a fraud alert or credit freeze with the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion).
4. If you paid by gift card, call the gift card company immediately. In some cases, funds can be frozen before the scammer redeems them. Save your receipts and interactions.
5. Change passwords for any accounts that may have been compromised. Use unique, strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication as often as possible.
6. Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM), which helps wireless carriers identify and block similar messages. If your phone has been hacked or you see signs of unauthorized access, take additional steps to secure it.
7. Document everything. Screenshot the original message, note the phone number, and keep records of any calls and transactions. You may need them for your bank, law enforcement reports or a fraud investigation.
The most reliable protection against text scams is a standing policy of skepticism towards all unsolicited texts.
The FTC's own guidance suggests never to click on links or respond to unexpected texts. If you think the message might be legitimate, find the company's contact information independently and reach out that way.
Here are several additional practices worth building into your daily habits
Text scams have cost Americans millions, and AI is making them harder to spot. The key warning signs are pressure and urgency, suspicious or unknown senders, links that don't lead to official domains, requests for personal or financial information, and messages that arrive completely out of the blue. If you've fallen for a scam, act fast. As a standing rule, when in doubt, don't click.
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