Experts warn ‘accidental texts’ may be an intentional scam

(InvestigateTV) — Robokiller reported that Americans received 19.2 billion spam texts in March 2025, with many coming from fraudsters.

The goal of the spam texts is almost always the same: to lure people into responding and ultimately steal their personal information.

Amy Nofziger with AARP said they have seen a noticeable increase in this ruse.

“Not a day goes by where I personally don’t get one myself that says, ‘hey, you coming for dinner tonight?’ And you think, oh, it’s just someone innocently, you know, misdialed a phone number or mistakes a phone number,” Nofziger shared.

She said scammers deliberately use this tactic to exploit people’s natural curiosity and kindness.

“So, because we’re nice humans, we write back and say ‘sorry, wrong number,’” she explained. “And that’s then when the conversation ends and the person tries to build a friendship with you, if you continue with that conversation.”

While many companies and organizations legitimately use text messages to reach customers, experts say if you don’t recognize the number or sender, it’s best to play it safe — don’t respond, and just delete the message.

She advises never clicking on links from unknown senders and ignoring any unsolicited texts asking for personal, financial, or information.

“I think it’s important for us to look at our phone hygiene and to make sure that we have our important s ed into our device,” Nofziger urged. “When one of those comes through and it’s not in our s, that’s a red flag that this might be one of those scams.

Consumers can report suspicious texts or fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

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