Little Rock Soiree recently sat down with the experts at Sullivan Wright Technologies for its monthly newsletter, The Work Wife. During the Q&A session, the Soiree team asked SWT for trusted guidance on navigating increasingly frequent and complex text scams. Their full conversation, including step-by-step protection tips, is available below:
1. Do not press Y. If you do, your phone will recognize the unknown number as a trusted sender, bypassing any existing protective measures. A response can also signal to the scammer that your number is active, making you a prime target for future outreach, especially if cybercriminals decide to sell your information.
2. Ignore unknown senders. As a general rule, if you don’t know the number, you shouldn’t answer the text. Responding to a message — even a simple “Hi, how are you?” — or clicking on an innocuous-looking link gives scammers an opening to extract sensitive information. Ideally, you should delete the text and block the sender to avoid receiving future communications.
3. Don’t overshare. Our personal information is valuable, which is why scammers want it. The less you divulge in the public sphere, the better. Even if you don’t disclose highly sensitive details like your bank account number, providing even minor intel, such as the name of your employer or financial institution, can expose you to risks.
4. Always verify. Cybercriminals often try to lull victims into a false sense of security before initiating a scam, even including localized details based on your area code. If you can’t determine whether a text is trustworthy, you can validate the message by visiting the alleged sender’s legitimate website or contacting them directly.
5. Flag text scams. While it’s impossible to prevent text scams entirely, you can help deter future outreach by reporting attempts to your mobile carrier. You can also forward fraudulent messages to 7726 (SPAM) or alert the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
For more cybersecurity tips, technology news, or to learn more about Sullivan Wright and how we can help your business, visit sullivanwright.com/news or email us at
