A reader alerted me to a text scam:
“Speaking of scams, this happened to me. Got a text with a code and link to reset my Facebook password. First red flag: I made no request! Second Red Flag: I have codes sent to email. Scammers are busy, be aware. The second text said I was locked out.I wasn’t. Because of you, I didn’t fall for it. Thanks!”
No, thank you for being part of the Cyn’s Tech Tips family!
It looks like they tried a classic phishing scam on you. First, you raise the fear of being instantly locked out of an account. That will make some people react without thinking.
You knew it wasn’t legit upfront because you don’t have your security notification sent to your phone. But there is a case where you might receive a text message for a password reset even if you didn’t make one. A hacker could be attempting to get into your account. However, that notification would only go to where you tell Facebook to send such notifications. You wouldn’t get a text if you aren’t set up for text-based multi-factor authentication.
Your “phishermen” were clever to follow up with the second text claiming you’d been locked out. For many folks, that would ramp up that fear response. But you were smart enough to go to your Facebook account and check.
Unless you’ve specifically just requested a text code or reset, never click on one of these. If you’re worried about an account, open up a browser or app and go to that account to check. Good catch!