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Watch out for this text<\/p>\n
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There\u2019s nothing like the offer of free money to brighten up your day, and smartphone users can expect to see exactly that by way of a text message sent to their devices. Millions will now get these surprise refund texts <\/a>\u2014 but it\u2019s not what it seems.<\/p>\n These are not real refunds of course, they\u2019re attacks. They\u2019re a surprise because they\u2019re not real. They\u2019re enticing because it\u2019s a compelling lure. And if you casually click you risk losing your money, your data, maybe even your identity.<\/p>\n ForbesIf You See This Warning, Your Facebook Is Being HackedBy Zak Doffman<\/a><\/p>\n The fake refund messages come from the same stable as the fake road tolls, DMV fines and undelivered packages<\/a> that you\u2019re been warned about repeatedly. And just as with those other campaigns, the attack hijacks brands to convince you it\u2019s real.<\/p>\n The text you\u2019ll see most appears to come from Amazon. It will confirm a refund has been issued because of a product recall or a marketplace seller who has not met their standards. The text includes a link to claim the refund. Hundreds of millions of phone users have Amazon accounts, which is why the lure lands so effectively.<\/p>\n But it doesn\u2019t have to be Amazon. The State of California<\/a> has warned citizens to beware a similar text scam. Per MalwareBytes<\/a>, the texts tell users \u201cyour tax refund claim has been processed and approved,\u201d with a link to \u201cprovide accurate collection information.\u201d<\/p>\n Millions of these text messages are sent out daily. Most won\u2019t get through \u2014 stopped by networks or devices. But millions do turn up with links that may only be live for a few hours<\/a> until they\u2019re blocked, but long enough for plenty of casual clicks.<\/p>\n