On the Radar

That random text with just your name? Don’t reply

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Scams

Scammers are sending texts that say little more than your name and a question mark, hoping you’ll fire back a quick ‘Who’s this?’ out of politeness. The thing is, any reply at all proves your number is live and that you’ll chat — which is exactly what they’re after. From there they can resell your number or slowly spin the chat into a fake friendship that ends in a crypto or investment con.

The move Don’t reply at all — not even ‘wrong number’ — then report the text in your messaging app and block the sender. If you think it might actually be someone you know, reach them on a number or app you already trust.
Practise it: Swipe to Survive →
Seen via Malwarebytes Labs
For teachers

Talking about this in class

Students might think a short text with no links is harmless, especially if it only asks for a quick reply. But sometimes that’s exactly what the scammer wants. Even a one-word answer can confirm that a phone number is active, making it more useful for future scams.

Ask the class: If you received a message that might be genuine, how could you check without replying?

Encourage students to contact the person or organisation using a number or app they already trust, rather than the details in the message. It’s a useful habit for spotting all sorts of scams, not just suspicious texts.

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