Some might say you're about to lose out on benefits or suggest that your account has already been compromised. Such texts make it seem like you need to react right away. Sometimes, these texts can ask for a Social Security number or online account password, according to an AARP Fraud Watch Network alert. The imposter text could look like something you might get about your bill but it does not have an AT&T identification in the link.

Here's money just waiting for you if you click on this link. It's almost a new twist on the sweepstakes prize scam. They might catch you off guard - especially when you don't want to lose your air conditioning in a heat wave - and scare you into putting money on prepaid cards or gift cards.īut here, the crooks are offering a quick fix for giving you more money, money that you're supposedly owed.

One popular trick is a phone call that claims to be from DTE Energy or another utility and threatens to shut off your electricity unless you pay $800 or $1,000 on the spot. More: Why you can't ignore the hackers and data breaches, like one at T-Mobile More: Hang up on robocalls promising to lower rates or fix credit More: Amazon scammers are slick, good at what they do: Here's what to watch for What's odd about this scam is that typically I've written about fraudsters who are trying to scare you into paying a past due bill, like an electric bill or gas bill.

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