Ask Terry Questions Phishing TEXT message re: unemployment insurance claim

Phishing TEXT message re: unemployment insurance claim

By Terry Savage on July 13, 2021 | Wild Card

Hi, Terry – The last time I certified for unemployment was 3/26/21 because I went back to work. Last night I received a TEXT message, that I believe to be a phishing text, asking me to verify a claim by clicking on a link in the message. (I did not open the text or click on anything – that’s just what I could read in the opening line of the text without opening it.) I have called IDES’ Fraud line to report this and am waiting to hear back from them – I’m in the queue. My credit has been frozen with all 3 credit bureaus for the past 2 years. I have checked my bank & credit card accounts for any unknown charges (found nothing) & have updated those passwords. I took a photo of the text phone number & opening line. Is there anything else I need to do to protect myself? Based on your Identity Theft-What to Do! letter on your website, should I also be checking my credit reports for any unknown inquiries? Should I report this to the FTC, FBI, etc.? (I wasn’t sure if a phishing text requires all of the same follow-up as, for example, getting a fraudulent 1099G form.) Thanks for your help, Terry.

Terry Says

You have done everything correctly –and it makes me feel great that you used all those resources on my site!
I would get a credit report and check for “inquiries’ perhaps from a bank, where an account might have been opened in your name.
But basically, the phishing text is typically the “start” — and if you didn’t click on it, you really don’t have much to worry about, having done all those other things. Relax, a bit!

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