“Michael Rao” Text Scam 11/1/22
Beware of a recent text scam where threat actors are claiming to be Michael Rao via text message. Victims have described the message addressed to them by first name and signed the initial message “Michael Rao”. The scammer proceeds to ask the victims to obtain a Steam card or Apple Card from the nearest store and promises “Michael Rao” will reimburse the victims.
The scam phone number reported to us is 626.410.3160
What happens if I respond to a spam text?
Directly replying to a spam text message lets a spammer know that your number is genuine. What happens next? They can sell your phone number to other spammers who might bombard you with false promises of free gifts and product offers. Instead, it’s best to block and report the number.
Your phone may have an option to filter and block spam or messages from unknown senders. Here’s how to filter and block messages on an iPhone https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201229 and how to block a phone number on an Android phone https://support.google.com/phoneapp/answer/6325463
Additional information on how to block spam messages https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-report-spam-text-messages