Yolo DA: Beware of Fake Text Messages From Walmart & Apple

Yolo County District Attorney’s office says to watch out for fake text messages that have been sent out recently. Two messages in particular claim to be from Walmart and Apple. The DA’s office said the following in a release:  

In the past several days the District Attorney has been made aware that cell phone users have been receiving fake text messages. There are two messages in particular that we want to warn citizens about. The first begins: “Dear Walmart Shopper, Congratulations you have just won a $1000 dollar Walmart Gift Card” and the second begins: “Apple is looking for people to Test & Keep the New iPad 3!” Both messages ask that you click or go to a website provided. We strongly encourage you to delete the text message.

This type of scam using text messages on a cell phone has many names including “Vishing,” “Phishing,” or “Smishing.” The message can be sent out to thousands of people by crooks using a computer. The goal is to get people who may not know it is a trick to provide personal information like bank account or credit card numbers. The scammers plan is to get people excited about winning something so they respond quickly without verifying that the information is legitimate.

Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig believes that education is key to reducing your chance of becoming a victim: “People who recognize the warning signs and take appropriate steps can often avoid falling victim to these scams. Given today’s increasingly sophisticated techniques used by crooks from all over the world, people must continually learn what red flags to watch out for. We encourage you to verify and be skeptical when it seems too good to be true.”

Apple headquarters encourages recipients of the text for the free iPad to report it to: reportphishing@apple.com. Information about the Walmart gift card scam can be found at: http://www.walmartstores.com/PrivacySecurity/ then click on the fraud alerts link. For more information, contact Dave Edwards at (530) 666-8180. 

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