New Sexting Scam Targeting Men With Suggestive Messages Trying To Steal Information
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Men are being warned to stay alert for a sexting scam.
Authorities say targets are getting surprise messages from women claiming to be looking for a good time.
A photo of an attractive, scantily clad woman, who says she's looking for fun and wants to meet up shows up as a new message on the person's phone.
"Hi there Adam, I got your cell phone number from my dating post."
For some it might be a tempting text. It certainly caught Adam Levinson off guard.
"Pure surprise, not exactly understanding what it is," the New Rochelle resident said.
Whatever it was – the businessman who splits time between Houston and New York – wasn't buying it. He didn't realize how widespread the suggestive scam was until he told friends what happened and several of them got some variation of the message; saying they're back in town and asking for a hook up.
"I'm just looking for one man for recurring no strings encounters."
The messages also direct them to click on the woman's dating profile link however, which turns out to be a fake site that steals your information. That's how scammers get you in this new phishing scam.
"Very cheap, costs nothing to put out an email or text and try to bait someone," security expert Manny Gomez told CBS2
Gomez says this tease in a text is the latest scheme to target men and their money. Sex sells, but in this case it steals.
"It's probably some guy in a foreign country, so don't be enticed, block it from your calls," Gomez warns.
"It makes you wonder how someone could fall for this, but people are falling for it," CBS2's Jessica Layton said.
"Gullible people who sometimes are in search of companionship," Levinson replied.
The bottom line on this one is don't engage with the sender. In fact, authorities say in this day and age you shouldn't answer communications from any unfamiliar numbers.
