Verizon says it is actively blocking spam texts that are being sent to customers from their own numbers, and that it was working with law enforcement stop it.
Verizon customers have recently been receiving spam text messages from their own mobile numbers. Over the course of the past few days, multiple Verizon customers shared screenshots of a text message asking them to click on a link that opens a supposed gift in their name. And the odd problem here is that users can’t simply block the source since that would essentially be blocking their own phone number.
For at least the last two days, @Verizon customers have been getting spammed with texts that are made to appear from our own phones.The delivery method has potential for a lot of damage. pic.twitter.com/gwE8Nn5twa Verizon hasn’t shared an official course of action directed at all the affected customers, but a support executive mentions on the official community forum that the carrier can’t confirm if the link was valid, and that users should avoid clicking on it.
How to steer clear of SMS spam There isn’t a definitive solution to protect oneself from all kinds of phishing attacks that exploit the SMS texting route, but there are certain preventive steps that minimize the risks. The first step is to avoid clicking links on any text message that claims to offer gifts or sounds too good to be true.