New Verizon text message scam could steal your personal info — don't click this

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Be aware of mystery messages bearing a 'little gift'

Verizon text message scam
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Verizon customers should be on the lookout for fake Verizon SMS messages, likely being sent by a phishing scammer.

The message, sent by 562-666-one-one-five-nine (and spotted by PhoneArena), sounds like a notification of your bill being paid, even addressing you by your first name. However it then ends with a link promising a "little gift". Do not click on this link.

It's assumed to lead to a page that will ask for your personal details, which the scammer could then use to seize control of your Verizon account.

Keep in mind that if you are a Verizon customer, your bill will have already been paid over a week ago, so you've likely already been notified of a successful (or unsuccessful) monthly payment. Plus, since when do mobile carriers reward you for just paying your bills?

A iMessage screenshot of a fake Verizon text, claiming to be a bill notification and encouraging the user to click the link for a gift. The link likely takes the user to a page designed to harvest their details for a scammer to use to break into their Verizon account.

(Image credit: PhoneArena)

Scams like this show it pays to be aware of what details may have been compromised from other data breaches, or what information might simply be publicly available. 

Also note that this scam, like many others, comes from a random number (rather than one that automatically identifies itself as from Verizon) and features unusually informal writing ("Msg." rather than "message").

If you're ever unsure about if a message is genuine, you should contact your carrier directly, using a customer support service listed on its own website or app to check. There's no sense risking your account security by assuming a message is safe to open.

To ensure maximum possible safety against potential scams, it's a good idea to enable two-factor authentication or change your password. You can do this through your Verizon account quite easily.

Richard Priday
Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.