BBB warns against text scams that could hack your phone

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Everybody likes a good deal, but an offer that’s too good to be true could end up hacking your phone.

Text scams know no age boundaries and the Better Business Bureau of Mississippi says young people are quick to click on things that say free or get this refund.

BBB says that’s why these types of text scams are successful because people are in a hurry and click on them and don’t even read the entire text.

You could get a text to a link that’s short or incomplete, and that’s to keep you engaged so consumers will click the link.

John O’Hara, with BBB serving Mississippi, says cell phones are convenient so often that we even bank over phones and use purchasing apps but keep that in mind when you receive random texts, the malware in the links is designed to take control of your phone and break into those accounts.

“That is what that malware is designed to do, to get in there, and they can take control of your phone and hopefully sign right into your a count, transfer money... do whatever they want,” O’Hara said. “So a lot of times, people think that’s just maybe an email or on your computer laptop or desktop, but it does happen with phones as well.”