New York state warns people after sending out spam text

New York issued a warning on Tuesday after a spam message was sent through its official text message updates.

Scott Reif, a spokesperson for the NYS Office of Information Technology Services, confirmed in a statement to Newsweek that the message was sent “in error” and that a vendor is investigating.

Why It Matters

Nearly 75 percent of Americans have experienced online spam or phishing attacks, according to the Pew Research Center. Phishing involves attempts to solicit personal information from an individual, including passwords or bank account details, by using deceptive texts or emails. The number of spam texts increased by 50 percent from 2024 to 2025, according to Consumer Reports’ Cyber Readiness Report.

What to Know

A text message was sent to individuals subscribed to New York state text alerts on Monday and reads: “B of A: transaction of $732.42 was declined. Confirm if this was you: 888-836-4437. Reply YES to confirm.”

On Tuesday, a second text message was sent by New York alerting recipients to the spam.

“The previous message was sent in error and not on behalf of New York state. Do not reply to the message or call the phone number,” the follow-up text message reads.

New York uses a third-party SMS service to send out these text messages, which has been used in the past to give updates on topics like weather and tax filings. There have been other reports of the spam being sent by other organizations that have emerged on social media this week.

Signs of phishing emails include when a message has a generic greeting, says an account is on hold due to a billing problem or invites someone to click on a link to update payment details, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

“While real companies might communicate with you by email, legitimate companies won’t email or text with a link to update your payment information. Phishing emails can often have real consequences for people who give scammers their information, including identity theft. And they might harm the reputation of the companies they’re spoofing,” the FTC website reads.

What People Are Saying

Scott Reif told Newsweek: “We are aware of a text message sent in error to some members of the public. Do not reply to the text message or call the phone number. This text message was not sent by New York State, and an investigation is ongoing by the vendor.”

The New York State Office of Information Technology Services website reads: “Be cautious about all communications you receive, including those that claim to be from ‘trusted entities.’ Be careful when clicking any links contained within those messages. If in doubt, do not click.”

What Happens Next

Anyone receiving emails or text messages asking for personal or sensitive information should be wary. People can protect themselves from phishing by using security software, regularly and automatically updating their phones, using multi-factor authentication on accounts and backing up data, according to the FTC.