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Companies targeting cell phones in 'smishing' scams

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    Protect yourself from texting scams

  • Duration 4:28
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-- the Federal Trade Commission is now filing cases against eight companies that are accused of bombarding cell phone users with millions of unwanted text messages have you gotten any of these.

You might win something it says or they try to confirm your bank information.

It's called smashing.

And in today's take charge consumer protection segment I want to give you look inside this texting scam the very latest scam.

To hit your cell phone and how you can protect yourself for joining me now to -- Tomorrow Wednesday.

Lead analyst of networking and business at PC mag dot com great to see is tomorrow thank you can't I couldn't believe how many people are -- How do we stop it.

Well it's they're becoming -- very rapidly growing problem and there's a couple of ways you can't stop it personally wanna recognize.

When you're getting smashed shop and usually they look like legitimate text from let's -- -- of a big business retailer like best buy or target.

And they ask you do things like sign up for a web site or into information to get -- free gift card or free iPad.

If you get any of these messages you wanna do a couple of things.

The first thing you want to do is you want to send a text to.

7726.

This'll all report that text to the carriers and to our researchers.

So 7726.

But do not text.

Stop now why is that okay there's a couple of reasons why don't want to do that first of all.

When you could only stop only works if it's a service that you legitimately signed up for like some sort of messaging alert.

And also if you -- back stop.

-- like -- scam taxed eight it can kind of authenticate your -- you know to be attacker you're sell them back for you don't want it.

That so you get more of them -- that's correct so the FTC filed these cases this week.

What do they expect they'll be able to do because I understand that's mission -- to cell phones.

May actually be able to be eradicated as opposed to the this -- shooting and fishing and whatever it is that comes to your computer.

-- act on the -- with the with in the action taken by the FTC there is a good chance that eventually he.

These type of -- mobile attack can be eradicated.

And that's because you have a lot of parties like extra vigilant about this you have the FTC.

And you have the cab readers themselves.

-- yet all of these defenses these in these it defense mechanisms.

One of the problems that I hear from people who have been dismissed.

Is that when they get these text messages on want did not recognizable.

They charged.

Samarra.

Yeah that's a big problem and that's what tends to get people -- the most upset about it -- what you can do is you can always -- -- charges with your carrier.

That's what's really important to -- send any suspicious text to that 7726.

Number.

And that acts as a sort of a record.

That you can you know he got trapped up well for your carrier -- contesting charges such a great point lastly is -- virus protection software to protect your phone.

Like you can protect unwanted web sites and tax and we all know which ones there are.

To your computer as their way to deal with your phone now you're sure as there's two really great products job and they can -- for either platform for the android or IOS.

Up his first heat makes a great mobile us security -- solution for android.

And -- -- makes an anti virus for Mac.

But you could catch any IOS device like your iPhone your -- and it will stand those devices for any malware or any sort of but the security threats how big a threat is this right now it's growing it's increased some -- something some figures say 300% in the last year.

But -- we do have a good handle on it the security industry has a great handle on a great resource is to combat it and I think it it will be eradicated.

Very good thank you -- -- nice to meet you and that's why we do these take charge consumer protection segments because I want you.

To take charge and not get ripped off great to see -- nice to be here.

You can also get more of my take charge consumer protection segments are a lot of issues that will save you money and hard eight go to Fox News -- common at the bottom of the main page.

Click on America's news HQ.

And on that page you'll see the last -- -- one of our consumer protection segments.

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