If you ever receive a strange text message and wonder if it's legitimate, experts say three simple words could be a dead giveaway that it's a scam.
While it might sound nice and friendly, one particular phrase is apparently a huge red flag that you're being targeted by scammers: "would you kindly."
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Even the single word "kindly" should be all it really takes to raise your suspicions, according to Tim Bajarin, a 40-year veteran technology analyst and chairman of market research company Creative Strategies. He said "kindly" should be right up there with other glaring warnings like poor grammar and spelling mistakes.
"The word 'kindly' is simply something we don't use in our common vernacular in the U.S.," Bajarin told Reader's Digest. "You'll often hear it used in countries with British influence, perhaps once a colonial country, where English isn't their mother tongue [such as Nigeria, India and Pakistan]."
That means the message could have been sent by someone from overseas to defraud you.
The best way to keep yourself safe from falling victim to such a scam is to never trust any unsolicited communication -- whether that's an email, social media DM or text message. If you receive an unusual message, the following tips from the Better Business Bureau can help you decide whether it's a fake, before scammers can get their hands on your personal information.
• Don't trust unsolicited messages. Scammers claim you've won a great prize, your subscription account is about to be deactivated, or there was a problem delivering a package to your home. They may even claim fraudulent activity has been detected on your account and tell you to "Act now!" by clicking a link or calling a number.
• Watch out for suspicious links. Most scam text messages contain a link for you to click on. Scammers hope their message will cause you to feel so scared or excited you’ll click the link without thinking. Some of these links could download malware onto your device. Others may lead you to lookalike websites where scammers hope to harvest your personal information, login ID, and passwords.
• Look for spelling and grammar errors. Legitimate companies usually hire professional writers and editors to craft their business communications, so if you notice strange phrasing along with spelling and grammar errors, you're probably dealing with a scammer.
• If you spot a scam text, don't reply. Some scammers ask you to text "STOP" or "NO" so you won't receive future texts. In reality, your reply tells them they have a real, active phone number and could open you up to future attacks. If a text message seems suspicious, don't reply. Block the number and erase the message.
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