The forecast that more than 1.5 billion smartphones will be sold worldwide in 2016 means more mobile mayhem since scammers love smartphones.
Spam. Some 70 percent of smartphone texters say they receive unwanted spam messages; studies show people are three times more likely to respond to spam received by cell phone even though more than a quarter of text-message spam is intended to criminally defraud you.
What to know: Don’t click on links or follow instructions to text “stop” or “no” to prevent future texts. This only confirms to scammers that yours is a live, active number for future spam. Forward suspicious texts to 7726 (“SPAM” on most keypads) to alert your carrier to those numbers, and then delete them.
The one-ring con. Crooks used to leave voice messages asking you to call a specific number because you have won a sweepstakes. Now they simply program calls to smartphones to ring only once or disconnect when you answer. Curiosity over a missed-call alert may result in you spending up to $30 to call back a seemingly American area code, actually an international phone number with a connection fee and per-minute rate.
What to know: Beware of any unfamiliar calls—one ring or otherwise—with area codes 268, 284, 473, 649, 664, 767, 809, 829, 849 or 876.
Bank messages. These text messages say there’s a problem with your bank or credit card account. If there’s really an account problem, you might get an email, but it will include your name and a portion of your account number. Your bank or credit card company may telephone you with a fraud alert, but it won’t ask for any personal data.
Finally, keep in mind that smartphones are prime targets for old-fashioned theft. Don’t let yours reveal your secrets if it winds up in the wrong hands. Always protect it with a strong PIN. And don’t use it to store credit card and account log-in information—or anything else potentially compromising.