Scam Alert: That Might Not Be Your Boss Texting You

Scam Alert: That Might Not Be Your Boss Texting You
Scam Alert: That Might Not Be Your Boss Texting You

You could certainly make the argument that the internet has never been a more daunting place. It seems as if, around every corner, there’s some kind of new scam or virus waiting to try and take advantage of the general public.

This happens day after day across the United States and, really, across the globe. These issues have been consistently bleeding into all corners of society, including the workplace — regardless of your field.

Today, we’re going to try and shine a light on a new text scam that has been sweeping the web (and what you should do).

How a text scam works

A scam text, in essence, serves as any kind of unsolicited message you receive that attempts to gain personal information about you. This can also extend to financial rewards for the guilty party, should it reach that stage.

They are often disguised as fairly normal messages; as we’ll allude to, they can take the form of someone you may know personally. The fact that they’re often from an unknown number should be the first red flag, as should any kind of request that seems out of left field or out of the ordinary.

Technology is developing all the time, and unfortunately, that leads to some less-than-savory individuals wanting to exploit it.

The latest text scam

In terms of what we’ll be focusing on, more specifically, it revolves around an article published by Better Business Bureau that you can check out here.

One day, you receive a text from someone claiming to be your boss at work. It includes information that seems far more believable in relation to you. If you proceed to respond to the text, then you’ll be asked to perform a task. This could be sharing something confidential, making a wire transfer, or even buying a Walmart gift card.

What you should do

At this point, the first step should be to contact your boss using the communication line you have with them. It doesn’t matter how realistic it seems because at no point should you let your guard down and accept this request. If you do, it could be the first in a long line of dominoes that fall.

It’s a scam that would appear to be working quite well, given how extensively it’s been covered and reported. If you don’t recognize the number after some research or you suspect a scam at any point, block and delete the number. If left active, it could leave you vulnerable to attacks in the future.

If you have a newer smartphone model, you’ll also have the opportunity to report the number to your mobile carrier. On an iPhone, it’s as easy as tapping the “Report junk” button at the bottom of the spam message to you (so long as you’ve not responded). While on Android phones, just press and hold the message while in the main Messages app, then tap on “Report Spam”.

Need help? Contact Velo

Cybersecurity and everything that comes with it can be a complex issue. For companies, both big and small, there are far too many text scams - and scams in general - that can trip you up. Because of that, it’s always important to have someone on your side, and that’s where Velo comes in.

As a managed security service provider, we can offer you assistance on a wide range of issues, including this one. With a committed team of professionals on hand, Velo is here to help.

We work within four pillars: support, security, strength, and strategy. We understand that this can be overwhelming sometimes, and as such, it makes sense to bring in experts who work to resolve these problems before they even get off the ground.

So, if this sounds like something you can get on board with, feel free to get in touch!

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