State of Florida warns of danger of automated text messages

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody alerted state consumers to the rise in text messages sent by robots, which already outnumber automated phone calls and “are potentially more dangerous.”

According to Moody, specialists estimate that throughout 2021 Americans will have received 71 billion automated text messages.

Floridians, in particular, will receive 5 billion of those messages, making this state, according to Moody, one of the most affected by that problem.

“These automated text messages are now more frequent and potentially more dangerous than robocalls, as malicious links can be clicked directly in text. These links often contain malware that can be instantly downloaded to a phone, ”Moody warned in a statement.

The attorney general advised not to interact in any way with this type of text, because this “will show the scammer that the phone number is active” and will make the user “vulnerable to more messages”, and especially not to open or click in links “in unrecognized texts”.

He also recalled that there is a nationwide way to punish those who engage in automated calls and texts, which is to register on a list called Do not Call operated by the Federal Trade Commission.

A person included in the list for more than 31 days can report unwanted calls and texts to the Commission and thus those responsible can be fined.