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Most scam texts are casual to spot, but this 1 feels different. At archetypal glance, the connection looks polished and uses authoritative branding that signals credibility. It besides includes method details that dependable serious, which tin origin adjacent cautious radical similar Bob to intermission alternatively of instantly deleting it. He shared the substance connection with CyberGuy aft second-guessing whether it could beryllium real.
"I received a substance connection from someone, immoderate entity I bash not recognize. Normally, I conscionable delete this phishing spam, but successful this case, I wonderment if idiosyncratic has my personal, financially related info. Have you seen this before?"
— Text connection sent to BobYes, this nonstop connection format has been circulating widely. The screenshot beneath points to a Robinhood impersonation scam, not a morganatic information alert. For those of you who mightiness not beryllium familiar, Robinhood is simply a fashionable fiscal app that lets radical commercialized stocks, options and cryptocurrency from their phones.
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MICROSOFT 'IMPORTANT MAIL' EMAIL IS A SCAM: HOW TO SPOT IT

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is informing of a Robinhood phishing scheme. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)
What the scam substance really says
At the apical of the connection is simply a informing designed to trigger urgency:
"Safety Reminder: If this wasn't you, delight telephone +1 (888) 497-####."
Below that, a realistic looking Robinhood graphic claims:
- An API cardinal was linked to an outer wallet
- Permissions see commercialized and transfer
- A linked wallet labeled Robinhood-Wallet
- An IP code listed arsenic 128.51.100.##
- A day and clip stamp from January 23, 2026
The connection ends by calling itself a mandatory work SMS meant to support the relationship secure. To astir people, this feels official. That feeling is intentional.
Why this connection is designed to scare
This scam relies connected presentation, not accuracy. Technical connection similar API cardinal and IP code dependable authoritative. It creates unit to enactment adjacent erstwhile the details are unclear. The telephone fig is the existent objective. Calling it connects straight to scammers trained to dependable calm, adjuvant and urgent astatine the aforesaid time. The connection besides avoids links connected purpose. A telephone telephone feels safer than clicking, which lowers suspicion.
The astir important happening to understand
Receiving this substance does not mean an relationship has been accessed. Messages similar this spell retired successful bulk. Phone numbers often travel from unrelated data breaches and selling lists. The sender does not cognize who really has a Robinhood account. The scam lone works if idiosyncratic reacts.
A spokesperson for Robinhood told america the institution is seeing a emergence successful fiscal scams and says it has safeguards successful place "to monitor, report, and disrupt fraudulent activity." The spokesperson urged customers not to prosecute with suspected scams and to usage resources connected Robinhood's enactment leafage to assistance place and debar them.
What to bash close present if you get this text
If this connection shows up connected your phone, intermission for a moment. These scams win erstwhile fearfulness takes over. Staying calm keeps you successful control. These steps interruption the scam's momentum and assistance support your accounts earlier immoderate existent harm tin occur.
1) Do not telephone the telephone number
This is the azygous astir important step. The telephone fig successful the substance connects straight to scammers posing arsenic Robinhood security. Once connected the call, they often assertion determination is an progressive menace and propulsion for contiguous action. They whitethorn inquire you to verify relationship details, stock one-time codes oregon o.k. fake transfers. No morganatic fiscal institution handles relationship information done an unsolicited telephone call.
2) Do not click links oregon reply to the message
Avoid interacting with the substance astatine all. Replying confirms your fig is active, portion clicking thing tin pb to fake login pages, follow-up scams oregon malware. Strong antivirus bundle tin assistance artifact malicious links and scam sites if 1 is tapped accidentally, but the safest determination is to disregard the connection entirely. Cutting disconnected enactment stops the scam immediately. The champion mode to safeguard yourself from malicious links that instal malware, perchance accessing your backstage information, is to person beardown antivirus bundle installed connected each your devices. This extortion tin besides alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your idiosyncratic accusation and integer assets safe.
Get my picks for the champion 2026 antivirus extortion winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com
3) Check your relationship the harmless way
If you person a Robinhood account, ever spell straight to the source. Open the authoritative app oregon manually benignant the website code into your browser. Never usage links oregon telephone numbers included successful the text.
Once logged in, review:
- Security alerts
- Recent relationship activity
- Linked apps
- API oregon third-party access
If thing appears there, the connection was fake, and your relationship is safe.
TAX SEASON SCAMS SURGE AS FILING CONFUSION GROWS

Cyber experts pass a wide shared "Safety Reminder" substance is simply a Robinhood impersonation scam, not a existent breach alert. (Photo Illustration by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
4) Turn connected two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds a captious furniture of protection. Even if scammers get a password, they cannot entree an relationship without the 2nd verification step. This stops galore relationship takeover attempts successful their tracks.
5) Use strong, unsocial passwords
Never reuse passwords crossed fiscal accounts. Strong, unsocial passwords bounds the harm from unrelated information breaches. A password manager tin assistance make and store unafraid passwords, truthful you don't person to retrieve them.
Next, spot if your email has been exposed successful past breaches. Our #1 password manager (see Cyberguy.com) prime includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email code oregon passwords person appeared successful known leaks. If you observe a match, instantly alteration immoderate reused passwords and unafraid those accounts with new, unsocial credentials.
Check retired the champion expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com.
6) Reduce vulnerability with a information removal service
If scam texts similar this support appearing, it often means your telephone fig is circulating among information brokers. A information removal work tin assistance trim that vulnerability implicit time.
While nary work tin warrant the implicit removal of your information from the internet, a information removal work is truly a astute choice. They aren't cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services bash each the enactment for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your idiosyncratic accusation from hundreds of websites. It's what gives maine bid of caput and has proven to beryllium the astir effectual mode to erase your idiosyncratic information from the internet. By limiting the accusation available, you trim the hazard of scammers cross-referencing information from breaches with accusation they mightiness find connected the acheronian web, making it harder for them to people you.
Check retired my apical picks for information removal services and get a escaped scan to find retired if your idiosyncratic accusation is already retired connected the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.
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7) Remove aged oregon unused linked apps
Over time, accounts tin accumulate connections that are nary longer needed. Review linked apps and region thing unfamiliar oregon unused. Fewer connections mean less imaginable onslaught paths.
8) Block the sending number
After confirming your relationship is safe, block the number that sent the message. This prevents repetition attempts from the aforesaid root and reduces aboriginal interruptions.
9) Report the connection arsenic spam
Robinhood encourages users to interaction its lawsuit enactment squad with immoderate scam oregon fraud concerns oregon to verify suspicious messages. Suspected phishing attempts tin beryllium reported straight to [email protected], the spokesperson said. Also, study the message arsenic spam successful your messaging app. This helps amended filtering systems and tin forestall akin scams from reaching others.
10) Save the connection arsenic evidence
Finally, earlier deleting it, instrumentality a screenshot. This gives you a grounds successful lawsuit you request to study the scam aboriginal oregon explicate what happened. It besides helps region uncertainty erstwhile the connection is gone.
5 MYTHS ABOUT IDENTITY THEFT THAT PUT YOUR DATA AT RISK

Scammers are utilizing method jargon and official-looking branding to instrumentality users into revealing fiscal relationship details. (Photo illustration by Cheng Xin/Getty Images)
Kurt's cardinal takeaways
This scam works by leveraging spot successful a well-known marque and utilizing fearfulness to propulsion for speedy decisions. The connection is designed to unreserved and intimidate, not to inform. The strongest defence is simple. Pause. Check accounts straight done authoritative apps. Do not fto method connection oregon urgency unit a reaction. You bash not request to recognize each item to enactment safe. Questioning a connection similar this protects thing acold much invaluable than time. And it raises an important question worthy asking each clip a information alert appears connected your phone.
Have you received a suspicious information substance oregon telephone recently? Tell america what it looked similar and however you handled it by penning to america at Cyberguy.com.
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Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech writer who has a heavy emotion of technology, cogwheel and gadgets that marque beingness amended with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business opening mornings connected "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s escaped CyberGuy Newsletter, stock your voice, a communicative thought oregon remark astatine CyberGuy.com.











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