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Scam text messages: what to check before you reply
An unexpected text deserves a pause, even when it claims to come from a bank or a familiar business.
Three checks for a suspicious text
- Identify what the sender wants: a reply, a call, a payment or private information.
- Notice pressure to act immediately. A claimed emergency can be used to rush your decision.
- Check the claim through an app, bookmark or phone number you already trust, rather than the message's contact details.
A fictional example
“Fraud alert: a large purchase is pending. Call this number now to protect your account.”
Warning sign: the text directs you into a new conversation with an unverified contact. Safer action: use the number on your bank card to ask about the alert.
Should you reply or report it?
Avoid replying to unexpected messages or following their links. Use your phone's report-junk option where available. The FTC also advises forwarding unwanted texts to 7726 in the United States.
AI can help explain wording, but a message that sounds normal may still be deceptive.
Source and scope
Based on FTC: Unexpected text scams. Published October 17, 2026. The example above is fictional. This guide is educational and does not establish whether a particular person or message is genuine.
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