Police in Fort Collins are warning people about the latest trend that con artists are using to separate people from their money--the fake bank text scam.

The scam often works because banks nowadays often text customers about suspicious activity involving their accounts. So now scammers are taking advantage of that trend by issuing phony alerts designed to get your personal or financial information.

Sometimes the scammers use a slightly different approach, claiming to be a healthcare provider and sending a bogus invoice for surgery or some other expensive medical procedure. Phony credit card spending alerts are another common scam.

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The bogus text messages often contain malware or direct people to websites designed to con people into giving out credit card or bank account information.  The post on the Fort Collins Police Services Facebook page offers the following tips on recognizing scam texts:

'🚩' SENDER: If you receive a text from an unknown number, consider that a red flag. If you've received alerts from a bank or other business vendor before, check back in your text history to see how they're formatted and how they've identified themselves.
🚩 GRAMMAR: Are there grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors in the message? This is often a telltale sign in text and email scams.
🚩 LINKS: If you receive an unexpected text from a bank or business, avoid clicking links as they may contain malware or direct you to a website that can compromise your information.''
The post also included the following example of a fake text alert:
Fort Collins Police Services
Fort Collins Police Services
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