False Warning Claims 'Trump Arrested' Textual content Messages Assault Financial institution Accounts if Opened

A copypasta warning is circulating on-line in regards to the purported risks of opening a rip-off textual content message — or probably an e-mail — that claims U.S. President-elect Donald Trump was arrested. In accordance with the declare, opening or clicking on a hyperlink within the message will grant scammers entry to recipients’ financial institution accounts. This warning started circulating on or simply earlier than Nov. 13, 2024, days after Trump’s reelection victory and lots of months after his indictments on a spread of legal fees.

Snopes acquired quite a few reader inquiries in regards to the warning. For instance, one reader requested, “Is it true there’s a rip-off happening a couple of message that Trump received arrested, and in case you click on on it, they’ll rip-off and get entry to your checking account?” One other reader shared a copied and pasted model of the rumor that claimed, “Warning! In case you get a textual content that Trump was arrested do not open it as a result of it’s going to assault your checking account. Inform all your folks.”

X users shared the rumor, with one particular person posting (archived), partly, “HEADS UP! In case you get a textual content that Trump was arrested do not open it as a result of it’s going to assault your checking account. Inform all your folks. Delete instantly. Could also be nothing, however received from a dependable supply.”

A Fb consumer additionally posted the rumor with a brilliant pink background, writing (archived), “Warning! In case you get a textual content Trump was arrested do not open it! It should assault your checking account.”

The warning is a hoax, nevertheless. We have now but to find any screenshots or transcripts of an precise textual content message becoming this description. The hoax is just like one we reported about in October 2016, which falsely claimed that clicking on an image of Trump in a social media submit titled “Donald Trump Arrested” would set up a virus on customers’ units.

We acquired almost 20 reader emails and reviewed dozens of social media posts — and their feedback — that warned customers of the purported risks of interacting with the “Trump arrested” textual content message. Not one of the emails, posts or feedback, featured a screenshot or transcript of the supposed textual content message. Most of the emails and posts — and not less than one YouTube user (archived) — stated they discovered of the matter from a member of the family, buddy or acquaintance. We could not decide who began the hoax.

Additional on-line searches — together with of Reddit.com and its ever-reliable r/Scams community — produced no credible discussions in regards to the purported scam or screenshots of the textual content message.

What To Know About Textual content Scams

Regardless of what a few of the customers claimed, shoppers can’t get scammed just by opening and studying a textual content message. For a rip-off to succeed, the scammers usually want recipients to answer the message or click on on a hyperlink.

The U.S. Federal Commerce Fee (FTC) printed a full guide on textual content message scams, primarily that scammers try and steal shoppers’ private and monetary info. If any readers supplied private or monetary particulars to scammers, we suggest reporting the textual content messages to the FTC utilizing the directions on the backside of their information. Moreover, we advise contacting the related financial institution or bank card firm — both by visiting a department or calling an official quantity (not one supplied within the rip-off textual content) — to handle the difficulty.

In case you discover further particulars on the purported “Trump arrested” rip-off textual content message, please reach out to us.

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