We recently received an email from Jane. Jane wrote to us about the suspicious text messages she received.
Her experience serves as an important reminder that we all remain vigilant in the face of these evolving digital threats.
Let’s dive into Jane’s encounter and explore the meaning of economic security in 2025.
Those who received forwarding alert scam text (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutsson)
Jane’s Amazing Textbook: An Attempt to Scam Textbooks
Jane wrote to us with the following concern:
“A $950.44 transfer request to Bryana White has been approved from Kinecta here in California. If it’s not approved, please visit (here link) to cancel it now.” Is this a scam text? ”
Great question, Jane! Your attention deserves praise, and yes, you should be concerned. Let’s break down this attempt at fraud and see why it has so many red flags.
Kinecta scam text (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutsson)
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Red flag: Find a scam
Jane’s text message shows some of the telltale signs of scams that everyone should know.
Urgency as a weapon: Scammers exploit our fears of financial losses and rush to act. In this case, we use phrases like “action now” or “cancel now” to warn of disastrous consequences if no immediate action is taken. This urgency is designed to bypass rational thinking and prevent the validity of the demands from being verified.
Suspicious link: A legitimate bank Do not send security-sensitive links via text. These links can lead you to download viruses to your device or to fake websites designed to steal your personal information. Be sure to check the URL before entering any sensitive data.
Not specific but unfamiliar details: The mention of “Bryana White” and the exact amount of $950.44 is a clever tactic. Scammers often use certain details to create illusions of legitimacy, even if these details are unfamiliar to the recipient. This approach is intended to instill doubt and urgency, increasing the likelihood that victims will act in a hurry.
What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
Brand impersonation: Scammers often employ brand spoofing tactics to create legitimacy facades using similar logos, fonts and color schemes. This deceit ceptive strategy is designed to manipulate you to believe you are interacting with a trusted institution, which increases the chances of falling into their fraud.
Unsolicited Contact: Beware of unexpected texts that claim to be from the bank, especially if you haven’t signed up for text alerts.
Spelling and grammar errors: Look for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. Legitimate messages from banks are usually written by experts and are error-free.
Personal information request: Scammers often ask you to “confirm” details such as your account number and password. Legitimate banks do not request sensitive information via text.
Too good to be a true offer: Be skeptical of messages that promise large returns or unexpected rewinds.
Pressure Tactics: Scammers often use threatening language and manipulate them to act quickly without thinking.
Those who received fraudulent textbooks (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutsson)
How to fight debit card hackers after your money
Scammer’s Playbook: Goals announced
These digital con ceivers have three distinct goals in mind.
- Data Theft: Invite them to fake their website to harvest their login credentials.
- Malware Distribution: Trick you on malicious software downloads.
- Financial fraud: We will manipulate you to reveal sensitive information.
Illustration of a fraudster at work (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutsson)
9 Ways Scammers Try to Deceive You Using Your Phone Number
How to protect yourself from text fraud
As fraudsters become more refined, it is important to be knowledgeable and armed and take proactive steps to protect personal information. Here are seven important tips to help you stay protected:
1. Do not click on suspicious links in text messages: In Jane’s case, clicking on the link could lead to a fake Kinecta website designed to steal login credentials.
2. It has powerful antivirus software: This helps to detect and block malicious software that could be downloaded if Jane clicks on a scammer’s link. The best way to protect yourself from malicious links to install malware is to install antivirus software on all devices, as it may access your personal information. This protection can also warn you that it will phish email and ransomware scams and keep your personal information and digital assets safe. Get the best 2025 Antivirus Protection Winners picks for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
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3. Please contact your bank directly using the official channel. Jane should call Kinecta’s official number to see if there is a real problem with her account, rather than answering a text.
4. Report the text to the bank and forward it to 7726 (spam). By reporting this text, Jane can help Kinecta and her mobile carrier protect other customers from similar scams.
5. Enable 2-factor authentication (2FA) In your account: This additional security layer can prevent scammers from accessing Jane’s account even if they obtain a password.
6. Use the SMS filtering tool provided by your mobile carrier. These tools may have caught and flagged the suspicious “kinect” text before reaching Jane’s inbox.
7. Invest in personal data removal services. This will help reduce the amount of personal information available online, making it difficult for scammers to target Jane and you with future personalized attacks. Although there is no service that promises to delete all data from the internet, deleting a deletion service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of continuously deleting information from hundreds of sites over a long period of time. Please see the top picks for data deletion services.
Important takeouts for your cart
Remember that legitimate financial institutions will never pressure them to act immediately or click on a text message link. If you are in doubt, always contact the bank directly using official channels. Jane, thank you for bringing this to our attention. Your vigilance not only protects you, it also helps to educate others. Together, we can stay one step ahead of the fraudsters and protect our finances.
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