Scam alert: Beware random text messages containing links

Do not click on links from an unknown person.   Often the messages will just use a first time counting on the fact that you might know someone named "Mary" or "Linda".    
​Good advice!

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By Rick Rouse

By now you probably know better than to click or tap on links in emails because that's one of the easiest ways to infect your device with a virus.
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After all, once you click a link and visit an infected website, the damage is done.
Well, the same thing is now happening on smartphones as well, only the malware is being spread via text messages.

What happens is you receive a text from a friend telling you about a great new app they just heard about.

In reality, the app is malware, and if you tap on the link in the message the malicious app is installed on your phone.

Once the app has been installed on your phone, it accesses your Contact List and sends the same malicious text message that you received to all of your contacts (in addition to a ton of other nasty tricks). Not a good thing.

Luckily, there are a couple of easy ways to protect yourself from the malicious apps that are being spread in this way:

1 - Follow the same rule with text messages that you follow for emails: Don't tap on any links.
2 - Install a high quality anti-malware security app on your phone. There are several good ones to choose from but I use and recommend Malwarebytes.

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