Text-message scams — “smishing” if you want the industry term — are the single most common fraud contact Americans receive in 2026. The FTC logged more than 450,000 SMS-scam complaints in 2025. Almost all of them fit one of seven patterns. Learn these seven and you can triage any suspicious text in under ten seconds.
1. Package-delivery smishing
Example: “USPS: your package is on hold. Reschedule delivery at ustracker-usps.top/r/8392.”
The most common SMS scam by volume. USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL never text you about redelivery unless you signed up for that carrier’s notifications — and even then, the links go to the carrier’s real domain. The .top TLD is a tell. So is any domain that is not the actual carrier’s site. Paste suspect URLs into our Phishing Link Checker.
2. Fake bank fraud alerts
Example: “Chase alert: we blocked a charge of $489.12 at Best Buy. If this was not you, reply STOP or verify at chase-alerts.online.”
Your bank does send fraud alerts by text. What they do not do is give you a link in the text. Call the number on the back of your card — never the number in the text, never the link. Our Bank Fraud Message Checker flags the linguistic patterns these messages all share.
3. IRS and tax-season threats
Example: “IRS Final Notice: you owe $2,147.83 in back taxes. Pay within 24 hours to avoid arrest. Pay at irs-payments.xyz.”
The IRS never threatens arrest by text. They never demand payment by gift card, Bitcoin, or wire transfer. Their initial contact is always by physical mail. Ditto HMRC in the UK, CRA in Canada, and every other legitimate tax authority. Our IRS / Tax Scam Checker scores these messages in seconds.
4. Family-emergency scams (stranded / arrested / hospital)
Example: “Hi grandma, it’s me. Lost my phone, this is my new number. I got arrested, please don’t tell mom. Can you help with bail?”
The grandparent scam has been updated for 2026 with AI voice cloning. Rule: anyone asking for money or gift cards as an “emergency” — call them back on their known number. If you can’t reach them, call another family member. The secrecy ask (“please don’t tell mom”) is the defining tell. No real emergency requires keeping it a secret. Our Elder Scam Protection Checker covers the full playbook.
5. “You have been selected” prize scams
Example: “Congratulations! You’ve been selected to receive a $500 Target gift card. Claim at offers-target.click.”
You did not enter a contest. You cannot win prizes you did not enter. Period. The .click TLD combined with an unsolicited prize offer is 100% scam. The link goes to a credential-harvesting form or a credit-card-skimming page.
6. Fake utility disconnection threats
Example: “Con Edison: your service will be disconnected in 30 minutes unless payment is received. Pay at coned-account.live.”
Utility companies send paper bills weeks before shutoff and contact you via their mobile app or mailed notice. They don’t text you 30 minutes before shutoff demanding payment via a web link. When in doubt, log in to your utility’s real website (type the URL yourself) and check your account balance.
7. Romance-scam openers (on SMS or dating apps)
Example: “Hi David, thanks for the match on Bumble last week! Moving the conversation here is easier. How’s your day going?” — sent to someone not named David, not on Bumble.
The “wrong number” text is the opener for a months-long romance-scam playbook. If you reply, an attractive-sounding stranger engages, invests in the relationship, and eventually pivots to a crypto-investment pitch (“pig butchering”). Our Romance Scam Detector flags messages that match the pattern.
What to do when one arrives
Three steps, in order:
- Don’t reply — even “STOP” confirms your number is real.
- Report: forward the text to 7726 (“SPAM”) — your carrier has a free scam-filtering pipeline.
- Delete, then if you’re curious, run the text through the SMS Scam Checker to see which patterns fired.
FAQ
Is replying “STOP” to a scam text safe?
Replying at all tells the scammer your number is active and you read the message. Do not reply. Forward to 7726 and delete.
How did they get my number?
Phone numbers are sold in bulk after every consumer-data breach. Data brokers aggregate them. Many scam operators just try sequential numbers in an area code. Your number being “known” does not mean you personally have been targeted — you are one of millions.
Can I block the number?
You can, but scammers rotate numbers every few hours. Blocking helps for that specific number; it does not stop future scams. Better: report to 7726 and use your phone’s silence-unknown-senders setting.
One last rule: no text message has ever been worth responding to without first verifying via a known channel. If your mom texts you she needs money, call her. If your bank texts you about a charge, open your bank app. The text is the weakest form of identity verification in your life.