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    • Racist text messages are scams. Learn more about identity theft and how to stop it
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    Racist text messages are scams. Learn more about identity theft and how to stop it

    Umito Posted on

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    Are you receiving fraudulent SMS messages containing racist messages? They should not be entertained and it is best to ignore them.

    This week, racist text messages are being sent to Black Americans, telling them they are being selected for enslavement and tasked with picking cotton on a plantation. These posts are being reported in several states and the screenshots are going viral on social media sites, according to an article by The dispatch. The messages vary in detail but follow the same basic script.

    The texts are not limited to Ohio. Students from several universities, including Clemson, South Carolinareceived the messages.

    These texts, called spoofing, are scams. Here’s what you need to know about identity theft.

    What is identity theft?

    According to the Federal Communications CommissionIdentity theft occurs when a caller deliberately conceals their identity under your caller ID to engage in criminal activity, such as stealing your information or money.

    They make your incoming calls appear to be coming from people you trust, like a local number or a business or government agency number. Scammers use fraudulent scripts to try to steal your money or valuable personal information, which is then used in fraudulent activities.

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    Can you tell if your phone is being spoofed?

    Identity theft frequently modifies a single letter, number, or symbol in communication to make it appear legitimate at first glance to known or trusted companies. It can sometimes be difficult to know if you are a victim of identity theft. It is therefore important to remain vigilant and know when to recognize identity theft.

    An example of Investopedia includes: “You may receive an email that appears to be from Netflix using the fake domain name “netffix.com.”

    Can phone number theft be stopped?

    Identity theft is not illegal, but stealing and scamming people using identity theft is. To stop identity theft, you can block the caller’s number and continue with your day. But sometimes that doesn’t seem enough and scammers may contact you from multiple caller IDs.

    According to Will haveThere are many things you can do to stop scam calls and messages.

    • Contact your mobile operator
    • Change call security settings on your phone
    • Create a new voice message to explain the situation
    • Look for signs of a SIM swap scam
    • Install a spam call blocking or identity theft protection app
    • File a complaint with the FCC and FTC
    • Change your phone number
    • Consider signing up for identity theft protection

    Can identity theft be traced?

    Unfortunately, it can be difficult to trace a fake number, depending on thread of life.

    If you Google the number, you can probably find out on public forums like Reddit if other people are receiving the same text messages from the same number.

    Umito
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