Don’t Be Fooled by the Latest Scam Taking Over New Jersey Phones

The scammers are back at it again.

One of the great things about technology is that it allows us to manage our accounts in the palm of our hands.  Simultaneously, that's also a huge downside of technology, because it makes it that much easier for scammers to try and take advantage of us.

Scammers will go to any length to take our hard earned cash.  They've posed as users in Facebook groups pretending to sell products, and people sending money on cash sending apps.  Scammers love to pose as trusted companies we rely on, which is the approach they're taking with their latest con.

Before I get into details about the latest scam sweeping New Jersey, here's a reminder on how to spot a scam message or email.

How do you spot a scam text message or email?

If a text message or email has poor grammar, that's a huge sign something's off.  A real company would never send out anything that's blatantly misspelled.

Another thing to watch out for is spelling errors in the company's name.  Keep in mind that if the company's name is spelled correctly, it doesn't necessarily mean the message isn't fraudulent.  The latest scam spelled the name of company they were impersonating correctly.

Finally, take a look at the links on the message (but don't click anything!), and the number or email address the message is coming from.  If they're a long string of letters and numbers, and it doesn't look like a valid email address or website, DO NOT CLICK IT.

It's also a good idea to call the company, or contact them through their website if you're unsure about a message you received.  Again, never click any suspicious links, and don't reply to or call the person who contacted you.

I've seen plenty of posts over the last couple of days from people who received a fake text or email from someone claiming to be from Netflix.

The message "warns" users that there were issues processing their payment for the month, and their account will be suspended unless they update their billing info at a suspicious looking link.

But, there aren't really any issues with the accounts being messaged.  Unsuspecting people who click the link most likely had their information phished - which pretty much means they had sensitive information stolen from them.

Remember, reputable companies will never ask for personal information like your social security number.  Be smart, and always take time to read over messages before clicking anything.

Better safe than sorry!