This new breed is pretty sneaky, as scammers start with a tricky “wrong number” text and pull victims into a friendly rapport, but if you know what to look for, you – and your bank account – can easily slip out of the situation scam-free.  

In This Article

How Wrong Number Text Scams Work

Common Scammer Tactics 

How to Identify a Fake Text Message

How to Stay Safe from the Wrong Number Text Scam

How Wrong Number Text Scams Work 

Typically, text message scams target your personal (i.e. financial) info pretty quickly.  For instance, bogus “bank fraud prevention” texts pressure victims to make bank transfers on the spot, fake “gift” scams outright steal credit card numbers to cover small “shipping fees,” and fake package delivery notifications do the same with bogus “redelivery fees.”

On the flip side, wrong number text scams are a slower burn.  Here, scammers develop a simple “wrong number” text into a friendly, ongoing correspondence that gets increasingly personal as time goes on.  Once they’ve built enough trust – which can happen over days, weeks, or even months – the scammer will drop a request for private personal info, often by wrapping it in an emotional plea.  This is called “making the pitch,” and it’s not a pitch you want to hear. 

It’s that personal info that leads the scammer to what they really want out of you:  your money.  

According to the FBI, “The scammers behind the fake wrong-number text messages are counting on you to continue the conversation.  They want to exploit your friendliness.  Once they’ve made a connection, they’ll work to become friends or even cultivate a remote romantic relationship.  It’s all a ruse, designed to get you to relax your mistrust so you’ll be more susceptible to falling for their scam, such as a cryptocurrency investment or many others targeting victims.”

The Breakdown

Because wrong number text scams are long-form and rely on ongoing conversations, each iteration of the scam can differ wildly in terms of specific content and interactions – for the scammer, it’s almost like a free-form performance or improv.  But the racket does have a basic structure, or at least a few variations, that most scammers follow.  

Commonly, these scams look something like this: 

• The scammer breaks the ice with a mundane text that clearly isn’t intended for you – like a reminder of a Zoom meeting for a company you’ve never heard of, or a party thrown by a name you don’t recognize.  The text may also call you by the wrong name, or try to book an appointment for a company or service that you’re not involved with.
• When you message back to let the texter know they’ve got the wrong number, they’ll then try to strike up a friendly or jokey conversation with you (rather than the typical radio silence or “sorry”).
• Next comes engagement.  This can take a wide variety of forms, but whether over minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months, the scammer will strike up and attempt to maintain an ongoing rapport with you.
• Oftentimes, cryptocurrency investment will work its way into the conversation.  Sometimes, scammers may even send or attempt to send their victims a small amount of cryptocurrency to prove that their “investment opportunity” is “real.”
• Eventually, the scammer may try to get you out of texting and onto a different platform or messaging service, such as Telegram or WeChat.
• In some cases, the scammer may send a link to an app download, whether it’s for a different messaging service or an investment app.  This app is often malware, and may mine your phone for personal information.
• Otherwise, the scammer will eventually make a pitch for your private or financial info.  No matter the made-up story this big ask comes wrapped up in, they’ll want something like a password, bank account number, or Social Security number, which they’ll use to gain access to your financial accounts.

Common Scammer Tactics

As a flexible scam with a touch of creativity on the part of the criminal, wrong number scams can have a variety of different themes.  Oftentimes, fraudsters will simply become catfish of sorts and try to cultivate long-distance, long-term friendships with the victim, but in some cases, that friendship may even develop into a long-distance relationship or romance.  

Other common tactics include roping victims into some form of investment (cryptocurrency is a common one), or pretending to be under duress in a fake emergency situation (“I’m stranded at the airport with no money,” “my sister’s in the emergency room and needs help,” etc.).

On the note of emergencies, sometimes the scammer will start with that ploy right off the bat – they may mention a hospital appointment or a health issue as the topic of the text, or in passing.  This can be a tactic to generate sympathy immediately, or to follow up on that note with a more urgent text later.

How to Identify a Fake Text Message

Look, wrong numbers happen in the real world – that’s why this scheme is so effective in the first place.  Especially when the hoax takes such a seemingly friendly form, it’s natural to wonder how to identify a fake text message scam from a wrong-number scammer.  These scams can be particularly tough to spot, because they don’t include the things victims have been conditioned to look out for, like faux messages from official organizations (like the IRS or a bank), immediate promises of money or prizes, or suspicious links.

That said, red flags do still exist, sly as they may be.  The number one red flag is the texter attempting to carry on the conversation after you’ve told them they have the wrong number.  Sure, stuff like this develops into Lifetime channel rom-coms or cute Buzzfeed headlines about one in 10,000 times, but it’s just not worth the risk with scams like this afoot. 

Much of these scams revolve around cryptocurrency investment, so if that comes up early or out of nowhere, be wary.  As Erin West, deputy district attorney in charge of the high technology crimes unit in Santa Clara County, tells NBC News, scammers are “broadening the way they will entrance you into the same scam. They are all scams, and I think they are all crypto-investment scams.”

If you’ve already engaged in the convo, someone you’ve never met in person who isn’t explicitly – and beyond a shadow of a doubt – part of a trusted organization asking you for personal or financial information is more than a red flag, it’s a five-star red alarm.  Don’t do it, ever. 

Stay Safe from the Wrong Number Text Scam

Alongside spotting red flags, a few smart habits and tactics can help keep you safe, not just from wrong-number text scams, but from text message scams in general.  The FBI and other pros recommend:

• Don’t follow up if a wrong number attempts to engage you in a conversation, no matter how cute, friendly, or funny it seems.
• Delete the associated message and block the number.
• Never, but never, click on a link sent to you by an untrusted or unknown number.
• Avoid responding with “STOP” if the message says you can do so to avoid future messages – it’s safer to block the number instead, especially if you’re even the least bit uncertain.
• Never offer personal or financial information of any sort to any texter that you aren’t 100 percent certain is a trusted institution.  This includes passwords or other account login info, bank account numbers, credit or debit card numbers, and Social Security numbers.
• Confirm that the person who is texting you is who they say they are by running their number through a reverse phone lookup tool. Using Spokeo’s Reverse Phone Lookup, you’ll be able to see the names of the people recently associated with the phone number that is texting you — as well as if that number has been linked to any suspicious activity such as spam or scam calls. 

If you’ve received a suspicious text, or one that you’re sure is a wrong number text scam, you can also take a few simple steps to be a good samaritan and help protect others from the same shakedowns.  File a report of your experiences with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or at the FTC’s ReportFraud.ftc.gov, or copy the message and forward it in a text to the number 7726 (and yes, that spells “SPAM”).

Because as different and diverse as we all are, just about everyone on the planet has at least one thing in common: no one likes a scammer.    

Dan has been a freelance writer, small business owner and media consultant for over a decade.  Along the way, he’s been lucky enough to collaborate with partners such as Sony, USA Today, Xbox, The Seattle Times, Netflix, Disney and many more. Dan currently lives in Dallas, TX. 

Sources

Federal Trade Commission – Can Your Staff Spot the Five Most Common Text Message Scams? 

FBI – FBI Tech Tuesday: Building a Digital Defense Against “Oops, Wrong Number!” Texts

CBS News – This is America’s Most Common Text-Messaging Scam, FTC Says

NBC News – Odd Text from a Wrong Number? It’s Probably a Scam

Bitdefender – “Wrong Number” Text Scams and How to Protect Against Them

Federal Trade Commission – How to Recognize and Report Spam Text Messages

FBI – Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

Federal Trade Commission – ReportFraud.ftc.gov

WHO LIVES AT THIS ADDRESS?

With a reverse address lookup, you can find out who lives at any address by quickly searching thousands of public property records.

In the 1950s and 1960s, about 20% of Americans moved each year. In 2022, that figure dropped to about 9%. The dramatic decrease over decades has continued in earnest over the past 15 years, driven largely by a drop among in-county movers.

In 2022, a little over 28 million people moved residences, down more than 10 million from 2007. Most of that drop was among people moving within their home county, comprising over half of yearly movers. That share has fallen substantially in recent years—especially in 2022, the most recent year measured, when the share of in-county movers dropped by about 5 percentage points in one year.

Spokeo analyzed relocation trends in recent years by examining data from the Census Bureau. A combination of factors is driving the drop in moves. Rising real estate prices are at the core of the decline of American mobility. Home sale prices across the country are at historic highs, as are rentals, and moving is costly. Mortgage rates, currently hovering around 7%, are also high relative to recent years. Meanwhile, a quarter of existing mortgages are locked in at rates under 3%, encouraging homeowners to stay in place.

The American population is also aging as baby boomers enter retirement. Older adults are less likely to move, though people of all ages and varied demographics are moving less often, according to a New York Times article. There has been a major dip in moves among younger adults, who have fewer motivations to move or seek out more space as they wait longer to get married or have children—if they do so at all.

As more Americans stay put, immigrants claim higher share of annual movers

Since 2007, the number of people moving has dropped by over 27%, with the number of same-county movers dropping by 40%. This rate most recently peaked in 2010, when nearly 7 in 10 people who moved did so within the county where they already lived. In 2022, just over half of movers are staying within their county.

The number of people moving within the same state also fell since 2007, while those moving out-of-state stayed about the same—though they each grew as a proportion of total movers as in-county moves waned.

Dramatically high costs in larger cities—traditionally attractive destinations among young, early career adults—also make these moving options less attainable. What’s more, urban jobs available to less-educated workers aren’t as advantageous as they once were and don’t pay enough to make up for the high costs of living.

The decline in moves overall somewhat contradicts the idea that people might move further after the COVID-19 pandemic due to the shift toward remote work. Still, those who did move chose places further from their original residence, granting the theory some credit. The rise in remote work also allowed more American job seekers to consider positions around the country and telecommute rather than pick up and move for a new job.

Close to 6 in 10 young adults live within 10 miles of where they grew up, according to a 2022 study by the Census Bureau and Harvard University. When expanding the radius to 100 miles, that share grows to 8 in 10 young adults. Younger adults moved further more often when offered higher wages, but more uniform economies across the country have somewhat diminished higher pay as an incentive to move.

The only major mobility increase was measured among those moving into the U.S. from abroad, which reached close to 1.4 million in 2022. That was a 15% increase over 2007, though growth has been inconsistent in that time. Immigration spiked over the past couple of years after pandemic-era restrictions eased. It is largely responsible for the country’s most recent population increase. In turn, immigration covers a larger share of moves among U.S. residents.

Fewer moves may mean more Americans are putting down roots and building community in the places where they’re from. People are being more intentional if and when they move. They are keeping their low-interest rate homes, saving money on big moves, and are less inclined to move solely for a job. Local wage growth and community investment is more likely to benefit longtime residents, providing more stability and connection among Americans and more balance across the national economy.

Story editing by Alizah Salario. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn.

WHO LIVES AT THIS ADDRESS?

With a reverse address lookup, you can find out who lives at any address by quickly searching thousands of public property records.

Many young adults consider fake IDs a rite of passage. Nearly 2 in 5 students in their third year of college admitted to having a fake ID, and about 1 in 8 precollege students admit the same, according to a Psychology of Addictive Behaviors study published in 2007.

Almost two decades later since the study, the popularity of fake IDs hasn’t waned. Almost 7 in 10 Ohio State students said they have used or owned a falsified ID, according to an informal survey in 2021.

Not all fake IDs are created equal, but a sizable number are modeled on identification cards from the same few states. Spokeo used data from IDScan.net’s 2024 Fake ID Report to identify the five states with the highest prevalence of fake IDs in circulation. IDScan.net’s report is based on its scans of over 130 million physical IDs, with a minimum of 600,000 scans per state.

Fake ID usage peaks just before adults come of age to legally drink and consume cannabis. According to the report, fake IDs are most often spotted at cannabis dispensaries, with 64 out of 1,000 customers trying to pass off their IDs for the real deal, followed by alcohol and tobacco retailers at 49 out of 1,000 customers.

Though they may not be far from purchasing alcohol and cannabis legally, using fake IDs may indicate a greater appetite for risk-taking that often has major ramifications. College students with fake IDs are at higher risk of heavy drinking and alcohol-related arrests, as well as other substance use. Though the IDs themselves are not typically the cause of these behaviors, they do signal that some young adults may be falling into these habits earlier than they may have otherwise.

Creating, buying, possessing, or using a fake ID is considered a crime across the U.S. Penalties vary in different states; obtaining or using a fake ID is considered a misdemeanor across most of the country, though some states consider it a felony. The type of identification or how it is used can also elevate the level of the charge. Those convicted may have to pay fines, serve probation, or potentially spend time in jail.

What’s more, businesses caught providing underage individuals with alcohol—even unknowingly—face consequences. The establishments will likely be fined, and their liquor license may be suspended or revoked. Individual employees may also face criminal charges for serving minors, depending on the state and situation. Similar laws are in place for cannabis dispensaries.

To better understand the market for physical fake IDs, read on to learn more about the five states with the highest prevalence of forgeries created in their likeness.

The geography of fake IDs

People often opt to get fake IDs that look like they’ve been issued from another state. Each state has its own variations and designs, so when an ID looks less familiar to those checking them, people may be less likely to notice any variations or inaccuracies.

Among the states with the most prevalent fakes, more than 1 in 100 IDs in circulation were found to be fraudulent. Though the percentage seems low, consider the prevalence of fakes among the #1 ranked state was 20 times higher than the state with the lowest share of fakes in circulation, Massachusetts. Other states with few fake IDs were Iowa, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Missouri.

Fake IDs have evolved alongside ever-changing technologies. Today’s fake IDs deploy special inks like hologram paint and sophisticated equipment to try passing common ID checks—visual inspections, barcode scans, and magstripe swipes.

Earlier this year, artificial intelligence-generated fake IDs made the news for quickly and cheaply creating images of fake IDs that can be used for online purposes, such as defying age-verification laws online or creating bank accounts to make cryptocurrency exchanges. While AI-generated images of fake IDs are currently specialized for online uses, they indicate an industry keeping pace with modern technologies.

Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Ania Antecka.

REVERSE PHONE LOOKUP

Search records for a landline or cell phone number to quickly identify who’s calling or texting you.

The fastest-growing social media platforms in America

Social media has substantially changed how people communicate, sell products and services, and tell stories—although that wasn’t necessarily the intention.

Some precursors to social media platforms, including the launch of AOL Instant Messenger in 1997 and LiveJournal in 1999, were created to support thoughtful communication between friends or discussions of niche interests with like-minded people. But as social media evolved, some platforms morphed into sophisticated machines of data collection, monetization, and algorithm-driven content.

Social media today plays a vital on- and off-screen role in the everyday lives of most Americans, thanks in part to the smartphone. People connect with friends on social media but also use these platforms to read the news, find entertaining content, and shop for items. With the ubiquity of these forums and near-universal use, social media platforms have also come under fire for spreading misinformation and conspiracies, siloing people into increasingly radical thinking, and a range of privacy issues by making it difficult for users to control how their behavioral data points are used.

Based on Pew Research Center survey data, Spokeo identified the fastest-growing social media platforms in the U.S. and explored the factors driving that expansion.

The popularity of different social media channels often depends on age, income, education, and political values, according to the Pew study. Some platforms, such as Instagram and Snapchat, are more wholly embraced by younger generations, while older generations prefer Facebook. Meanwhile, TikTok is used by 3 in 5 (62%) Americans aged 19-28 but just 34% of Americans 50 and older.

Video platforms top popularity and growth metrics

While the video platform YouTube dominates the social media landscape in popularity across all demographics, TikTok is by far the fastest-growing platform for adoption among American adults. In 2021, just 1 in 5 (21%) adults said they used the short-form video platform; that number rose to 33% in 2023.

Across the globe, TikTok was the most downloaded app between 2020 and 2022, according to an Apptopia analysis of iOS + Google Play data. Unlike Facebook, new users didn’t need to “friend” people to follow them. On day one, without followers or anyone to follow, users could scroll through endless videos carefully curated by an algorithm tracking engagement based on how many likes, comments, and shares each video received.

TikTok’s user growth slowed after the company launched e-commerce in the U.S. in 2024, and users began seeing more sponsored content. That same year, the Biden administration signed legislation that could effectively ban American users from using TikTok.

While the video platform YouTube dominates the social media landscape in popularity across all demographics, TikTok is by far the fastest-growing platform for adoption among American adults. In 2021, just 1 in 5 (21%) adults said they used the short-form video platform; that number rose to 33% in 2023.

Across the globe, TikTok was the most downloaded app between 2020 and 2022, according to an Apptopia analysis of iOS + Google Play data. Unlike Facebook, new users didn’t need to “friend” people to follow them. On day one, without followers or anyone to follow, users could scroll through endless videos carefully curated by an algorithm tracking engagement based on how many likes, comments, and shares each video received.

TikTok’s user growth slowed after the company launched e-commerce in the U.S. in 2024, and users began seeing more sponsored content. That same year, the Biden administration signed legislation that could effectively ban American users from using TikTok.

While almost every major social media company grew between 2021 and 2023, Facebook, Pinterest, and X (formerly Twitter) declined in users.

Today, different platforms face different challenges. Very few social media companies at the time did what Meta, the parent company of Facebook, did in the early 2000s. MySpace profiles were easily customizable, while Facebook maintained a uniform look on its platform that felt almost democratic—everyone had access to the same look and features. It seamlessly evolved into the smartphone age while upending online advertising by creating “organic” ads that looked like user-generated content, making for a less cluttered and interactive site.

Most millennials came of age on Facebook, which launched in the early 2000s exclusively for college students and opened to the public in 2006. Facebook is still popular among those early adopters: Three in four people between the ages of 30 and 49 use the platform, according to 2023 Pew data. However, with so many social media options, Facebook struggles to retain users (save for those shopping secondhand) and inspire adoption among younger people.

As for X, market intelligence firm Sensor Tower found that the number of users has dropped by more than 20% between 2022 and 2024, coinciding with Chairman Elon Musk taking the company’s reins. Musk made a series of changes that shook up the platform, like getting rid of the traditional “verified” checkmarks for media professionals and high-profile individuals. The platform added a network for paid subscribers, which allowed them to boost their posts and comments, post up to 25,000 characters, and create an ad-revenue sharing system for creators. It’s a far cry from the egalitarian beginnings of the app.

Watchdog groups have accused X of platforming hate or inappropriate speech. It is not the only social media site called out for unsuitable content. Exposure to explicit content, harassment, and time-wasting were top social media concerns among parents of American teens, according to a 2022 Pew Research Center study.

But even content that isn’t categorized as explicit or hateful can have a detrimental effect. Algorithms that amplify inflammatory or fringe content are well-documented; for years, social media companies have grown and flourished with little government oversight. In an effort to keep users engaged, algorithms have turned these platforms into breeding grounds for extremist rhetoric, fueling disinformation, and potentially allowing foreign governments to influence elections. As a result, some users are simply abandoning these platforms altogether.

Changes to regulate social media are on the horizon. Several states have passed comprehensive data privacy laws that make it hard for social media companies to mine content and potentially sell the data to advertisers. However, there’s been some pushback among Republican-led Florida and Texas legislators, who have attempted to pass laws to preserve posts that violate companies’ social media standards, calling into question how much freedom private companies have from government regulation. Such calls for regulation and other proposed legislation and changing user behaviors will inevitably continue to shape and shift the social media landscape for years to come.

Story editing by Alizah Salario. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick.

Heralded by The New York Times as a “a jaw-dropping tale of digital deception,” and named one of People’s best books of June 2024, the book is the true story of one of the most prolific catfishers of all time — and the women who used Spokeo to uncover his deception. 

The Scam 

There is No Ethan chronicles not just the biggest catfish yet busted, but also the proto-catfish.  Beginning in 2010, this true story predates the 2012 debut of MTV’s Catfish, which catapulted the term – a person who pretends to be someone else online – into the popular lexicon. 

Ethan’s author, sociologist and former New York University media professor Dr. Anna Akbari, lived the experience, as a victim of “Ethan Schuman”, alongside two other women. After matching on dating sites, all three women forged intimate relationships with “Ethan” – exchanging thousands of messages with what seemed to be an attractive, intelligent, and disarmingly interesting man.  

Despite countless late-night text messaging exchanges, none of the women ever met “Ethan” in person — and each attempt at a video call, IRL meet-up, or in-person visit ended with an excuse.  

When Akbari connected with other women who’d also been communicating with “Ethan,” the inconsistencies became apparent, as did the depth of the lies. Not only had “Ethan” been catfishing countless others, the tactics of emotional manipulation formed a clear – and cruel – pattern. 

“Ethan” often ensnared victims into dramatic arguments, fluctuated from intimate oversharing to cold silence, and had a habit of mentioning sexual encounters before the long-distance relationship became official.  All ways of tangling victims up in an addicting cycle of panicked conflict followed by the dopamine hit of resolution.   

For this prolific catfisher, it was all a depraved power play.  

Spokeo Helps Bust the Fraudster

While part of Ethan is a gripping tale of how a masterful catfish entices victims, it becomes a thriller in detailing how Akbari and company set out to reveal who was actually behind the persona.

No spoilers (though you may already know, as the story was widely reported online in 2014), but the real person behind “Ethan” is not the suave psychopath or the online shut-in you might imagine. And while Akbari’s long-distance faux fling only lasted for a few months, some of the women (all successful professionals in their 30s) had been caught in a web of deception for years. 

As the women hunt for the catfish’s true identity, they employ everything from prophetic dreams to Facebook sleuthing, all to no avail. Fortunately, enter Spokeo People Search, which they use to confirm the identity of the real Ethan’s father. With the catfish’s actual last name in hand thanks to Spokeo’s social media detective tools, Dallago is able to find Ethan Sr.’s information, leveraging info like phone numbers, mailing addresses, email addresses, and social profiles. Netting that info puts the group one step closer to confronting “Ethan.”  

You Can Stay Protected, Too

While plenty of scammers catfish victims for monetary gain – forging a personal connection before asking for money – one of the most chilling parts of Akbari’s story is that “Ethan” never asked for cash.  The emotional manipulation was simply a deeply intricate lie in the name of sick psychological satisfaction, and therefore legal.  Which means there’s little motivation for people like “Ethan” to stop. 

That makes it more important than ever to have legit, identity-verifying info on your side.  With Spokeo, all you need is a name, and you’ll be able to search more than 12 billion public records for identifying information, helping you compare factual details with the online profiles of any would-be catfish.  

Verify the facts, and you’re a whole lot less likely to get reeled in, helping ensure that There Is No Ethan doesn’t become your story, too.    

As a freelance writer, small business owner, and consultant with more than a decade of experience, Dan has been fortunate enough to collaborate with leading brands including Microsoft, Fortune, Verizon, Discover, Office Depot, The Motley Fool, and more. He currently resides in Dallas, TX.

Sources

Anna Akbari, Ph. D. – About

MTV – Catfish

Observer – The Talented Mr. Schuman: Love and Mistaken Identity in the Internet Age

Hachette Book Group – There Is No Ethan: How Three Women Caught America’s Biggest Catfish

The New York Times – There Is No Ethan Is a Jaw-Dropping Tale of Digital Deception

Google Books – There Is No Ethan: How Three Women Caught America’s Biggest Catfish

People – PEOPLE’s Best Books of June 2024: Tales from Joan Didion’s Assistant and Danielle Steel’s Story of Rebirth