Scammers are sending deceptive text messages to children, addressing them by the wrong name in an attempt to start a conversation and gather personal information.
One Lafayette teenager received a message saying, “Hi, Rose. This is Elizabeth. Sorry to bother you, just trying to reach out to see how you’re doing.”
Since the teen’s name isn’t Rose, it seemed like an innocent mistake. Most people might reply, “Sorry, wrong number,” which is exactly what the scammers are hoping for.
Once a child responds, the scammer continues the conversation, attempting to befriend them and eventually gather personal details.
A concerned mother of a 13-year-old who was targeted by this scam is warning other parents to be cautious about who their children are messaging.
“They’ll say, ‘Oh, what’s your name? What school do you go to?’ and then pretend they’re in the same grade,” the mother explained. “They try to befriend the kids before getting their personal or family information.”
Fortunately, the 13-year-old blocked the unknown number.
“When I saw the text on my daughter’s phone, I was angry at first—how did they get her number?” the mother said. “But that anger quickly turned to fear. If this is happening to my daughter, how many other kids are being targeted, and how many parents are even aware of it?”
To protect your child from this scam, parents should regularly monitor their child’s messages and discuss the dangers of responding to unknown numbers. Blocking texts and calls from unknown numbers in your child’s phone settings can also help prevent scam messages from reaching them.