Given the recent rise in scam texts and phishing, it’s important to know what to look for in case you too receive a suspicious text from an institution like Wells Fargo that could be a scam.
While Wells Fargo is a leading financial institution that is doing everything it can to protect its customers, scammers can be so convincing that anyone can fall for their deception.
Read on to make sure you never fall victim to a text scam claiming to be Wells Fargo, or any other trusted institution.
While many spam texts are simply unwanted marketing messages, there are others that might easily lead you to becoming a victim of fraud.
Spam texts are an easy method for scammers to find out your personal information, like your name, your address, or your social security number.
Scammers make spam texts look as convincing as possible. For instance, they can conceal their identity with “Sender IDs,” such as a bank, like Wells Fargo.
The most common spam texts you’ll receive, particularly from scammers posing as financial institutions, might include one or more of the following details:
While these are common elements of many scam texts, these scam messages can use many tricks that scammers use to try to get you to give them your information.
Others you may receive can also include messages pertaining to attempted deliveries to your home address or information regarding online purchase refunds.
A recent text scam claiming to be from Wells Fargo asked recipients to verify a recent payment. The “payment” was fake, and many customers were tricked out of thousands of dollars.
It’s important that you know the tell-tale signs to spot a text scam posing as a trusted institution so that you don’t give away any personally identifiable information (PII) to a scammer.
Here are a few of the several signs that you might be dealing with a text scammer:
Wells Fargo is working hard to protect its customers from fraudulent text messages sent by scammers claiming to be them, as well as spam texts in general.
On the website, Wells Fargo provides detailed information on how to spot and report spam texts, as well as useful insights about the types of messages scammers are using.
If you’ve received a suspicious spam text that looks like it’s from Wells Fargo but you’re not sure, you should report it immediately.
To protect yourself further, activate spam protection services on your cell phone. Both iPhone and Android users can quickly access these services through their settings.
All major cell service providers offer a built-in app that can manage and monitor spam texts or calls you might receive. These different options from providers include:
Take an additional step toward total security by downloading a third-party app specifically designed to stop spam texts and calls.
Many reputable developers offer services that can help limit the amount of spam you receive. These services usually offer a free option as well as premium services you pay for.
Also, read our guide on how to stop spam texts for a full rundown of all your available options.
To put it simply, you receive a spam text because someone has gained access to your phone number.
There are a few ways this may have happened. For instance, when you sign up for something online, it could provide consent to share your personal information with third parties.
But if you receive an influx of spam, junk mail, robo-calls, or spam texts, it could be the case that your information is being shared by data brokers.
There are hundreds of data brokers in the U.S. that legally collect your personal information and sell it forward to marketers, and sometimes even just to the highest bidder.
Oftentimes, this information can easily fall into the hands of scammers and fraudsters as well, putting you at a great risk to be the victim of email, text, or phone scams.
The best way to secure your online information, and reduce the amount of spam texts and junk mail you receive, is to remove your information from all data-broker sites.
Many individuals who take on this extensive and tedious opt-out process ultimately seek out the help of professional data-broker removal services like DeleteMe to do it for them.
For as little as $10.75 a month, DeleteMe opts you out of data-broker sites and continues to monitor the security of your information every few months.
When you sign up for our service, you’ll likely see a reduction in the amount of spam you receive almost immediately, and potential scams as a result.
DeleteMe is our premium privacy service that removes you from more than 30 data brokers like Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified, plus many more.
Save 20% on DeleteMe when you use the code DIYPRIVACY.
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