WASHINGTON—In 2024, consumers reported losing $470 million to scams that started with text messages, new data from the Federal Trade Commission show.
This amount is five times higher than what was reported in 2020, even though the number of reports declined, the FTC said.
The most commonly reported type of text scam was fake package delivery, where scammers send alerts about a supposed issue with an incoming delivery. Bogus job opportunities were also common, including “task scams,” which involve promises of online work requiring people to complete a series of online tasks and end up with requests for people to invest their own money.
Other text message scams reported frequently were fake “fraud alert” messages sent to consumers warning about a suspicious purchase or an issue with their bank; warnings about fake unpaid tolls with a link to pay them; and “wrong number” scams that start as a seemingly misdirected message. Wrong number scams often evolve into a conversation with romantic undertones that can lead to investment and other scams, the FTC said.