Cell phone providers say close to 5 billion text messages were sent in the last year, and that number is expected to grow. As well as the number of spammers working to steal every bit of your personal information for their own fun.
"What they're trying to do is to get you to provide them with information about yourself or information about your financial institution or credit card information," said Horton.
A spammer's work comes in a form of a text message like this one. In the last month alone, I received over a dozen of these messages. It all reads the same thing over and over again: your cell was chosen to obtain a Best Buy gift card. Get yours asap. It was followed by a link.
Better Business Bureau Dennis Horton says if it seems to good to be true then it really is.
"Legitimate companies have a privacy policy that is geared to protect you or at least tell you what they will do with the information you provide," said Horton.
So how can you protect yourself? According to AT&T, the best way is to not click on the link in the message, do not respond with short codes like stop or spam, but better yet contact your cellphone provider.
Verizon Wireless East State St. Store Manager Steve McDowell has helped many Verizon customers in the past with the same issue.
"Customers can come in and block up to 12 email addresses or phone numbers of their choice and they can change that as they need too," he said.
In the end, Horton advises consumers to take one major precaution when it comes to your personal information.
"You should ask, what are you going to do with that information? Is this solely for your use to do business with me or will you in turn sell this to an affiliate of yours that you do business with?" said Horton.
"What they're trying to do is to get you to provide them with information about yourself or information about your financial institution or credit card information," said Horton.
A spammer's work comes in a form of a text message like this one. In the last month alone, I received over a dozen of these messages. It all reads the same thing over and over again: your cell was chosen to obtain a Best Buy gift card. Get yours asap. It was followed by a link.
Better Business Bureau Dennis Horton says if it seems to good to be true then it really is.
"Legitimate companies have a privacy policy that is geared to protect you or at least tell you what they will do with the information you provide," said Horton.
So how can you protect yourself? According to AT&T, the best way is to not click on the link in the message, do not respond with short codes like stop or spam, but better yet contact your cellphone provider.
Verizon Wireless East State St. Store Manager Steve McDowell has helped many Verizon customers in the past with the same issue.
"Customers can come in and block up to 12 email addresses or phone numbers of their choice and they can change that as they need too," he said.
In the end, Horton advises consumers to take one major precaution when it comes to your personal information.
"You should ask, what are you going to do with that information? Is this solely for your use to do business with me or will you in turn sell this to an affiliate of yours that you do business with?" said Horton.
