(Atlantic, Iowa) –  The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports many people are receiving text messages about their bank account having had unauthorized activity. The Sheriff’s Office warns you, “Do not call the number or click the link. It is a scam. If you question whether a text message or email is real or fake contact your local bank, by looking up the number yourself or stopping by in person.”

Never respond to any text where the sender is unknown or is not on your contact list. Follow these tips to help prevent you from becoming a victim of a text message scam:

1. Don’t reply directly to any spam text message – 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 promises of free gifts and product offers.

2. Do treat your personal information like it’s cash – Spam text messages may lure you into disclosing personal information like how much money you make, how much you owe the bank, your Social Security number, and credit card details. Most legitimate companies do not request personal information like passwords, account details, and other personal details via text messages. When in doubt, look up the company phone number, call them, and verify if a legitimate request was made. Don’t call the number sent in the text message.

3. Don’t click on any links in the text message – Clicking on a link in a spam text message could install malware that can collect information from your phone. It can take you to spoof sites that look real but are designed to steal your information. Malware can also slow down your cell phone’s performance by taking up space on your phone’s memory. Once the spammer has your information, it can be sold to marketers or, worse, identity thieves. It can also lead to unwanted charges on your cell phone bill. Your wireless carrier may charge you for receiving a text message, regardless of whether you requested it.

4. Do review your cell phone bill regularly – It’s smart to check your phone bill regularly to make sure it reflects the correct amount. If there are charges that don’t look right, call the phone company and find out if you’re receiving or sending spam messages from your phone.

5. Do check your phone’s settings – Your phone probably has built-in features to help block unwanted calls and text messages. Type in “block” using your device’s search function.

For Android phones, look for the three dots in the top right-hand corner of your text. Click on it and select “People” and “Options.” Next, select “Block” to stop receiving spam text messages from that number.; For iPhones, click on the “i” in the top right-hand corner of the spam text. Next, click on the number and select “Block.”

6. Do place your cell phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry – Wondering how to stop spam calls? Adding your phone number to the Federal Trade Commission’s National Do Not Call Registry lets you opt you out of receiving most telemarketing calls. If you receive an unwanted call after your number is on the registry for 31 days, you can report it to the FTC.

7. Do check to see if your carrier offers a call-blocking service – Most major carriers offer call-blocking services or plans that let you block phone numbers from unknown callers for a specific period of time. You can also see if one of the third-party call-blocking apps and services will work with your carrier’s wireless service.

8. Do report spam texts to your wireless carrier