BBB Of Central Oklahoma Warns About Text Scams, Advice For Consumers

The Better Business Bureau has received hundreds of reports this year about scams delivered right to our phones. Agency leaders in Oklahoma City offered a warning to protect people’s money. Leaders said to never assume a text message is reliable and always confirm any text message’s legitimacy. 

“Text scams we see happen more often than not,” said Casey Farmer, Vice President of Marketing at the BBB of Central Oklahoma. “You might get a random text message saying your UPS package couldn’t be delivered or that your Amazon account has been stolen.” 

Farmer said there’s no shame in falling for a scammer’s trick. 

“I have clicked on links before and thought, ‘Oh no I shouldn’t have done that,’” Farmer said. “There’s lessons to be learned.” 

Farmer said to check text messages for hyperlinks with misspellings or a suspicious sender. These are signs of a scam.

“It can be just that one small variation that can lead to big problems for consumers,” Farmer said. 

Farmer said these links can expose personal information. 

“As soon as you click that link, you’re opening yourself up to vulnerability,” Farmer said. 

She said people should verify everything with the agency or business that sent them the text to protect others from the stress of stolen personal information. 

Farmer said people should let family and friends know about any potential scam they encounter. 

“There’s so much we can do in the way of education,” Farmer said. “I think it’s important to share that knowledge and protect the ones we love.” 

Anyone can report any suspected scams at bbb.org/scamtracker. Anyone who has offered personal financial information to a potential scam should report it to the credit bureaus.