# Got a bank transfer alert text? It might be a scam; here’s what to do

We recently received an email from Jane, who wrote to us about a suspicious text message she received.

Her experience serves as a crucial reminder for all of us to stay alert in the face of these 

Let's dive into Jane's encounter and explore what it means for our financial safety in 2025.

## Jane's alarming text: A textbook scam attempt

Jane wrote to us with the following concern:

"I just got a text from Kinecta  that says, 'Transfer request of $950.44 to BRYANA WHITE has been approved. If you didn't authorize please visit (link here) to cancel now.' Is this a scam text? Should I be worried?"

Excellent question, Jane! Your caution is commendable, and, yes, you should be concerned. Let's break down this scam attempt and see why it raises so many red flags.



## Scammer's playbook: Objectives unveiled

These digital deceivers have 3 clear goals in mind:

- **Data theft:** Luring you to fake websites to harvest login credentials.
- **Malware distribution:** Tricking you into downloading malicious software.
- **Financial fraud:** Manipulating you into revealing sensitive financial information.



## How to protect yourself from text scams

As scammers become increasingly sophisticated, it's crucial to arm yourself with knowledge and take proactive steps to safeguard your personal information. Here are seven essential tips to help you stay protected:

1. **Never click suspicious links in text messages:** In Jane's case, clicking the link could have led to a fake Kinecta website designed to steal her login credentials.
2. **Have strong antivirus software:** This can help detect and block malicious software that might be downloaded if Jane had clicked on the scammer's link. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. .
3. **Contact your bank directly using official channels:** Jane should call Kinecta's official number to verify if there's any real issue with her account, rather than responding to the text.
4. **Report the text to your bank and forward it to 7726 (SPAM):** By reporting this text, Jane can help Kinecta and her mobile carrier protect other customers from similar scams.
5. **Enable two-factor authentication**  **on your accounts:** This extra layer of security could prevent scammers from accessing Jane's account even if they obtained her password.
6. **Use SMS filtering tools provided by your mobile carrier:** These tools might have caught and flagged the suspicious "Kinect" text before it reached Jane's inbox.
7. **Invest in personal data removal services:** This can help reduce the amount of personal information available online, making it harder for scammers to target Jane and you with personalized attacks in the future. While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time. 

## Kurt’s key takeaways

Remember, legitimate financial institutions will never pressure you to act immediately or click on links in text messages. When in doubt, always reach out to your bank directly using official channels. Thank you, Jane, for bringing this to our attention. Your vigilance not only protected you but also helps educate others. Together, we can stay one step ahead of scammers and protect our finances.



What additional steps do you think governments, regulatory agencies like the FCC or cellular providers should take to stop the rise of scam texts and protect consumers from these malicious schemes? Let us know by writing us at ****

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to ****



Follow Kurt on his social channels:

- 
- 
- 

## Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions

- 
- 
- 
- 

## New from Kurt

- 
- 

Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
```