Insights

Consumer Protection in Action – FTC Helping to Stop the Spread of Texting Scams

Jun 20, 2023

Thanks to solutions including do not originate (DNO) lists (such as RealNumber® DNO)and the required implementation of STIR/SHAKEN, it’s become more and more difficult for fraudsters to leverage voice calls to carry-out their nefarious campaigns. Unfortunately, this has in turn led scammers to seek out new channels  to defraud innocent consumers.

And their current communication channel of choice? SMS.

Using text messages to commit fraud has seen tremendous – and concerning – growth in the last few years. In fact, in 2022 alone, according to reports in the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) Consumer Sentinel database, text message scams took consumers for $330 MILLION.

In the recently published blog: Can Your Staff Spot the Five Most Common Text Message Scams?, the FTC educated consumers on some of the most commonly used SMS-based fraudulent schemes as well as what can be done to avoid becoming a victim of text message scams.

As shared at the 2023 Telecom Fraud Symposium, preventing text message scams is a top priority for the FTC. During her presentation at the virtual event, Lois C. Greisman, Associate Director for Marketing Practices, Bureau of Consumer Protection (BCP) at the FTC, further highlighted the different actions consumers can take to help stop the proliferation of this form of fraud.  

To learn more about how you can spot and avoid texting scams, visit www.ftc.gov/scams .