How to Tell If a Text Is a Scam: 8 Red Flags in Suspicious Messages
A republication — originally published at https://warnscams.com/how-to-tell-if-a-text-is-a-scam/
That text about a package that "can't be delivered" or the bank alert asking you to verify your account probably didn't come from the sender it claims. Smishing — phishing over SMS — is now one of the most common ways criminals reach people. According to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), phishing and smishing complaints run into the hundreds of thousands every year, with reported losses in the billions.
You don't need special tools to spot most scam texts. You need to know the red flags. Here are eight.
1. The sender is a random number or email address
Legitimate delivery companies and banks send from short codes or verified sender IDs, not a random 10-digit number. If a "bank" texts you from an ordinary mobile number, treat it as suspect.
2. Manufactured urgency
"Your account will be locked in 24 hours." "Pay now or your package is returned." Scammers use panic because panicked people don't check details. Real companies give you reasonable deadlines and multiple reminders.
3. Links that don't match the brand
Hover or long-press the link before tapping. A text claiming to be from USPS that links to a random domain like usps-tracking-verify.xyz is fake. When in doubt, open the company's official app or site yourself instead of tapping the link.
4. Requests for personal or financial information
No legitimate bank asks you to confirm your password, PIN, or full card number by text. If the message asks, it's a scam.
5. The "wrong number" opener
Scammers send a friendly "Hi, is this Sarah?" to start a conversation that eventually turns into a pig-butchering investment scam or a romance scam. Block and delete — don't engage.
6. Too-good-to-be-true offers
Prize winnings, gift cards, or mystery-shopper payouts you never applied for are bait. Real lotteries and giveaways don't notify winners by random text.
7. Odd grammar or formatting
Sloppy wording, strange punctuation, and garbled formatting are common in mass-sent scam texts. Some are AI-polished now, so this alone isn't proof — but combined with other flags, it adds up.
8. Threats and intimidation
Texts claiming you're under investigation, owe a debt to a fake agency, or will face arrest are scare tactics. Real authorities don't serve warrants by text message.
What to do when you get one
Don't reply, don't click, and don't call back. Report the text: forward it to 7726 (SPAM) on most carriers, and file a complaint at the FTC's ReportFraud.ftc.gov or the FBI's IC3 portal. Then delete it.
If you already clicked a link or shared information, act fast — disconnect from the network, change the affected passwords from a clean device, and contact your bank. There's a full step-by-step recovery guide on the WarnScams site.
The bottom line
Most scam texts are cheap to send and easy to spot once you know what to look for. Pause, check the sender, never trust the link blindly, and verify through official channels. The full guide with examples lives at https://warnscams.com/how-to-tell-if-a-text-is-a-scam/.
This post was originally published on WarnScams, a scam-awareness site publishing source-backed fraud-prevention guides.
