FTC issues consumer alert regarding "Hi, how are you?" text message scams

A text message from an unknown number that simply says: hi, how are you? seems harmless. Your first instinct might be to respond to see if it’s someone you know. Or maybe tell them they made a mistake. But the Federal Trade Commission says that it is best to ignore these type of text messages. Scammers are using this tactic as a conversation starter, so don’t text back. If you do, here’s what happens next...

The person (a scammer) on the other end of the text will probably apologize…and find a way to keep the conversation going to befriend you. Then, once they have your trust, they’ll try to offer you advice on investing in cryptocurrency or claim they can teach you the secrets to making big money in the crypto markets. For a fee, of course. But it’s all a scam and they’ll just steal your money. 

Even if you just reply to the text but don’t engage in conversation, you’ve still confirmed they reached a working telephone number. Which could lead to more calls and texts from scammers. 

To read the full alert, including more tips, please click here.