PITTSBURGH — If you’ve gotten a text message about your unemployment insurance benefits that appears to be from the state, it may be a phishing scheme.
The Federal Trade Commission is warning that identity thieves are targeting millions of people nationwide with scam phishing texts in an attempt to steal personal information and unemployment benefits.
The texts try to trick people into clicking a link, which ends up being a fake state workforce agency website that may look real. People are then asked to “make necessary changes” to their unemployment insurance claims, “verify” personal information and “reactivate” their accounts, according to the FTC.
Fraudsters can use the information provided to file fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits claims, as well as for other forms of identity theft.
The FTC said state agencies do not send text messages asking for personal information.
People who get such unsolicited texts are urged to not reply or click any link. Complaints can be filed with the National Center for Disaster Fraud (CLICK HERE or call 866-720-5721). The state workforce agency can also be contacted directly.
For more information from the FTC about the phishing schemes and how to report them, CLICK HERE.
TRENDING NOW:
©2021 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
