The California Employment Development Department is warning people about “smishing” scams, in which criminals pretending to be EDD or Bank of America are tricking people into giving up sensitive information by text or phone calls.
“Smishing” is a term coined to describe fraud attempts specifically related to text messages.
The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission have seen scams of this nature in the past.
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The way the scam usually plays out is a victim will read an official looking message in a text, and then click on a URL that leads the victim to a website that looks legitimate, but is actually fraudulent. It may even look like a workforce agency website.
It's all an attempt to get ahold of personal information. The scammer then uses it to file benefit claims on the victim's behalf.
If a customer wants to check if a text is a real message from the EDD, before clicking anything, go to your online account or check account information sent to you via snail mail.
Here’s a couple of tips from the EDD on how to determine whether a text message is a scam:
- Text messages asking people to reactivate a card by clicking a link are scams. Bank of America and EDD never text message people to reactivate a debit card.
- Never click a link in an unexpected text message claiming to be from EDD or Bank of America.
- Customers can verify whether an EDD text message is legitimate by checking UI Online or the mailed notice for the same information.
- Customers can call Bank of America using the telephone number on the back of their debit card to check if a bank-related text message is legitimate.
- EDD sends text messages from the number 510-74 or 918-06. Customers should be aware, however, that a scammer might attempt to spoof this number to trick someone.
If you believe you have been targeted by a smishing attack, immediately report it to the National Center for Disaster Fraud by filing a NCDF Complaint Form or call 866-720-5721.
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Other resources for reporting this type of fraud include visiting Ask EDD and clicking on the "Report Fraud" category.
Learn more here.
