Scammers targeting digital wallets to steal money your money are on the rise
Take a closer look at those text messages claiming to be your bank, it could be scam. A new alert released by the Better Business Bureau says scammers are targeting people's money by pretending to send texts from your bank.
The video featured above is from a previous report of scammers targeting Zelle app users.
The BBB Scam Alert cautions that a text message people may receive looks like a fraud alert from their bank. The text will claim that there is some unusual activity in their account. It may read: "Bank Fraud Alert - Did you approve a transaction for $1,000? Reply YES or NO."
Do not reply to the text, the BBB cautions. If you do, the scammer will know that it is an active number - and there is a person to scam.
The next step is someone who claims to be a bank representative will call from a number and caller ID that appears to be from the bank. The scammer will claim to be able to help stop the fraudulent charges.
The BBB says the caller will ask the victim to send money to themselves using Zelle or another digital wallet app. The scammer will then try and help their victim connect the app to their bank account and then ask them to verify the connection by sharing the code the bank sent.
Do not share the verification code. The scammer can set up an account with the victim's phone number and email, but using their bank account information.
If that happens, people who think they are sending money to themselves will actually be sending the money to the scammer.
The BBB says that disputing the charges will be difficult. Sending money through a digital wallet app is similar to using cash, making it very hard to get your money back.
The BBB shares tips to learn how to spot these scams:
-Do not reply to suspicious texts
-Watch out for fake caller IDs
-Never share one-time passcodes
RELATED: That's not your mom texting! Better Business Bureau warns against false caller ID
