“Wrong Phone Number” Scams Are on the Rise
If you receive an innocent-sounding message from a number you don’t recognize, it’s actually not innocent. This is likely the start of the “wrong phone number” scam, which is increasingly being used to steal money and information from victims. I personally have been sent variations on this theme: “Hello! Hope you had a good day.” “Can you work?” and just “Hello.”
A study by security firm McAfee , reported by CNBC, shows that about 25% of Americans have received text messages with incorrect numbers. But this isn’t the only widespread text message scam currently circulating. Unpaid toll and unpaid parking fee schemes are phishing attempts that may appear legitimate at first glance, but end up handing over your credit card information to thieves. According to the Federal Trade Commission , consumers lost $470 million in 2024 to text message scams, five times more than in 2020.
How the wrong number scam works
A wrong number scam starts with a random and seemingly harmless message from an unfamiliar number, the first goal of which is to elicit a response and confirm that your phone number is active.
Scammers then try to build a relationship (often romantic) and gain your trust over the course of days and months, preying on loneliness and desire for companionship. This can turn into a so-called “pig slaughter” scam , where scammers extort investments or convince you to hand over your retirement savings, a long-running scam that could potentially result in a big payday. But even if victims don’t end up sending money, any information they provide (even if harmless) can be used or sold on the dark web.
AI has made this scam possible in several ways: it can help match texts to more believable area codes, as well as weed out social media profiles to identify potential targets and find their phone numbers, making it more effective for scammers. It can also gather enough information for scammers to gain access to social media accounts, block them and demand ransom.
What to do if you receive a random message
If you receive a message from a number you don’t know, do not respond as this will verify your phone number. Even if you no longer participate in this messaging, you may be attacked again in the future (and by other unknown numbers). You also don’t have to try to figure out who they are or whether you know them—if someone really needs to contact you, they’ll likely respond with multiple messages or calls beyond just one “Hey, how are you?” And, as with any scam, be wary of messages that evoke an emotional reaction or a sense of urgency.
Messages with incorrect numbers should be marked as spam in your messaging app. In Messages on iOS, tap the Report Junk link that appears at the bottom of messages from unknown senders, then tap Delete > Report Junk . If you haven’t opened the message yet, you can also swipe left and tap the Trash icon > Delete and Report Junk . (Note that you can’t report a post if you’ve replied to it, which is another reason not to do so.)
On Android, you can block and report conversations in Google Messages: Long press, then tap Block > Report Spam > OK . If you’ve already opened the conversation, tap More options > Details > Block and report spam > OK .
You can also forward spam messages to 7726, which helps wireless companies identify and block scams.