ST. LOUIS – “Phishing really is a pretty widespread scam,” stated Better Business Bureau investigator Brian Edwards.
Edwards noted that the list of scam victims has expanded over the past two years. In 2023, the BBB Scam Tracker received over 9,000 phishing reports, almost double the previous year and a record high.
“Getting texts on your phone, asking you to click on links and things like that. It really seems to be driving a lot of the numbers,” Edwards explained. “We’re seeing a significant increase from 2022 to 2023, as well as high numbers in 2024.”
Edwards pointed out that scammers are increasingly using text messages to target their victims.
“We tend to mostly send texts between friends, family, people we’re closer with, so people’s guards are down a little more and that’s a big reason, we believe, why people are more susceptible to them,” he said.
Even if the sender appears familiar, caution should be exercised.
“Scammers are all the time impersonating people; they’re taking over their legitimate accounts even. Watching for links is crucial, because some of these scams, once you click on them, they can install malware and compromise your computer,” Edwards warned.
He cautioned that scammers are utilizing technology to better conceal their criminal intent.
“Some of these scammers appear to be turning towards tools that use malicious AI to craft more convincing messages,” Edwards added.
He emphasized the importance of thinking before clicking to avoid falling victim to phishing scams.
“Stop and think a second before you are giving away any personal information, bank account information, Social Security number, even address and things like that, which could then be used to gain access to more sensitive accounts,” Edwards advised.
