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Since we are talking about texting and credit cards being closed this is a new one. At least for me.

On Thursday a text came over on my phone (I was home at the time) that it was from my bank that there was suspicious activitiy to my account and it has been closed to call a toll free number.

So I called MY bank, with the number 'I' have and they said all is okay and they did not even have my cell phone on record! It was good that I called them. I forgot about it, until I got another text on Saturday (I was at a 100th b-day party) and it stated again:

FRM: Bank X (101-010-0002 was the number) MSG: Your Bank X account is closed due to unusual activity, call us at 1-800-578-0134

The really creepy thing was, the guy sitting across from me got the SAME message just a different reply phone number, minutes later. He belongs to another bank and different cell phone carrier!

When the Nigerian emails were going around, officials said to report the email and of course delete, block domain...but now what do we do with this?

I have sent an email to my bank with details as well as my cell phone carrier. But should this reported elsewhere. It is fraud or could/would lead to it!

Is this happening in Pittsburgh, or has anyone else experienced it?!

I would save the text (that is, don't delete it) and take the phone to the local office of your cell phone provider (US Cell, Alltell, whatever). Show it to someone in authority like the office manager, and ask him/her what to do. I'm sure they've seen/heard of this already, and probably have a procedure already developed and in place.

I'm guessing that something like this would definitely attract some attention from the FBI, as well as the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), the ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission), and perhaps even the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). The entities that regulate the banking industry may also be interested, too.

Go for it!! What can it hurt?

-"BB"-

I deleted the first one...I'm not going to the phone store, half of them are idiots! and you can never 'delete' your text messages, each and every one are retrievable (sp)....

We know this due to being in court and old texts were brought in as 'exhibits'

I will call the FCC and may be contact the local FBI office tomorrow.

I got the same sort of thing. They said that my Debit Card had been frozen.

I don't HAVE a debit card...

My step-mom told me tonight she just read about it in the paper, I could not find it recently, but found this from January:

National phishing scam targets Sprint cell customers
By Jill King Greenwood
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, January 24, 2009


Pittsburgh police investigators warned cell phone customers Friday about a text-messaging scam that they say is reaching "epidemic" proportions nationwide.


People are receiving text messages as part of a phishing scam, in which victims are asked for their bank account numbers and PINs, said Detective Christopher Jordan of the Computer Crimes Unit.

The scam affects Sprint cell-phone customers and involves dozens of banks, police said.


A typical text message might read: "This is an automatic message from Star Bank. Your ATM card has been deactivated, and it is urgent that you call the following number."


Those who send a text message to the number included in the phishing-scam text typically receive a return text asking for bank account and PIN information, Jordan said. Those who call the phone number, usually a 1-800 number, would be prompted to enter personal banking information through an automated system.


The numbers included in the scam texts are "spoofed," Jordan said, easily created using computer software.


"You basically call or text someone from your phone and your number, but this software makes it so that another number appears on the caller ID," Jordan said. "We haven't been able to trace or track these numbers."


Four victims surfaced locally in the past week, but Jordan said none returned text messages or divulged personal information.


"We want to get the word out because young kids who text a lot, or maybe older people who aren't that familiar with technology, might have received a cell phone for the holidays and might just automatically return a text message," Jordan said. "We want people to be careful."


Banks typically don't contact customers via text message to address a problem with an account, city police spokeswoman Diane Richard said. Banks, instead, call customers directly.


Phishing scams are common in e-mail accounts but have surfaced on cell phones in the past two years. The phishing scam on Sprint cells phones have affected customers in dozens of states, including New York, Michigan, Missouri and Texas, police said.


Anyone who receives a suspicious text message should ignore it and contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or call the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection at 1-717-7879707.

It's been going on in the Seattle area. I think it started about a month, maytbe 2 ago. One of my employees got 3 that I know of.