If you have received a spam text message from your own number, you are not alone. As The Verge reported, at the moment, there is a scam campaign going on in which scammers are sending spoof messages to people. You should know that your phone number hasn’t been stolen, and you haven’t been hacked. Scammers can make it appear as if these messages are coming from customers’ own phone numbers, but they are not. It looks like Verizon customers are the most affected by the spoof message campaign, but customers of other carriers have received such spoof messages as well. The scam text often says that you have paid your bill and offers a free gift.
The message includes a link through which you can supposedly redeem your gift card. It’s a good idea not to tap on the link inside. If you tap on it, you risk compromising your phone. Users who have tapped on the link inside the spoof message have been redirected to a Russian website.
What to do in the case of receiving a spoofing message
If you receive a scam message on your phone, it’s advisable to forward the spam text to number 7726, no matter which carrier you are using. This will directly send the message to your carrier’s spam defense team. Another thing you can do is file a complaint with the FCC. When you begin filing the complaint in the “Phone Issues” category, choose the “Unwanted Calls/Messages (including do not call and spoofing)” option. Then, choose the sub-issue “my own number is being spoofed,” and continue filing the complaint.
