New scam spreads via text message

Published 12:01 am Monday, October 10, 2011

If you have text messaging on your phone or another electronic device, there’s something new you need to worry about.

State Attorney General Rob McKenna warned consumers Friday about a new scam to talk you out of your financial information that was sweeping the Seattle area.

It’s called smishing, which is a cute sounding name for bank fraud.

Smishing is a variation on phishing, which uses emails to trick consumers into turning over account numbers, PINs, credit card security codes, user names, passwords and other information.

Basically, scammers want you to think you’re dealing with your bank or your credit card company. They usually cite some problem and have you respond online or talk to someone in person.

What’s new about smishing is that it is using the growing texting technology to accomplish the job.

“They want your account information and they’re eager to use whatever technology they can to attain it,” said Dan Sytman of the attorney general’s office.

He said that complaints started coming in early last week about text messages supposedly coming from Wells Fargo Bank. He said it quickly morphed into messages from Bank of America, Chase and others.

Sytman said he believes that the scam is nationwide but just found its way to the Seattle area last week.

He said that people were told that their account had been breached and were directed to “press one” for assistance. Then they were connected to a person who asked for sensitive account information.

By Thursday, the agency had received about 100 complaints, Sytman said, adding that’s a significant number is such a short time.

The bottom line is whether you get such queries by letter, on the phone, by email or by text message, you should ignore them.

“People should never respond to those things,” Sytman said.

McKenna suggests that if there’s any doubt, call your bank or credit card company.

“Flip over your credit or ATM card and call the number on the back,” he said in his department’s consumer alert. “It there’s a problem with your account, that’s the best way to find out.”

His agency noted in the alert that phishing and smishing are crimes that it lacks the authority to investigate.

It suggests that people contacted by such scammers file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov/ftc/contact.shtm.

Anyone who thinks he or she may have revealed sensitive information in a phishing or smishing scam should contact their bank or credit card company and monitor their bank reports, credit card bills or credit reports for anything that doesn’t look right.

Mike Benbow: 425-339-3459; benbow@heraldnet.com.