Bit.ly is a software service that is used for shortening the long web addresses (URLs) to make it easier to send them. The software was made with a good intent to attend to the needs of people struggling to type long URLs every day in the office. But, you can always find an evil among virtuous. Many started to use it as a tool for unethical hacking & phishing scams as it’s so convenient for the scammers to hide the actual website and the victim couldn’t know without clicking on the link, where the link is leading to. Let’s learn about ‘Bit.ly Text Message Spam’.
Bit.ly Text Message Spam
These days the scam of sending spam messages is on a rising high. 9 out of 10 people are receiving spam texts containing bit.ly links. The sole purpose of these texts is to sneak into your bank account by asking you to give them your credit or debit card details. If you have ever received a text that your mobile no. has won so and so prize or you have won a million-dollar lottery despite that you have never contested for any then, you are also included in the list of targeted people. But, by applying a little common sense, you can save yourself from becoming the prey of these scammers.
How can you identify whether the received text is a scam or legit?
- Urging To Do In Certain Time – If the message is giving you the sense of an urgency to press the given link to claim your prize or send “STOP” to stop receiving the texts in the future, etc. then, be attentive as these are spam.
- Use of Poor Grammar & English – You can easily distinguish between a legit or spam text as there is no use of professional phrases & language. Although the spam messages are written in catchy words to lure the victims, there are still some grammatical errors in them.
- Totally Irrelevant Message – You can’t connect with the message as it has no relevance to you. Suppose, the text asks you to click on the bit.ly link to receive your lottery prize but, you haven’t participated in any such lottery then, this is a spam message.
How can you save yourself from these messages?
- Enquire from Concerned Company – Suppose you receive a message regarding the delayed delivery of your package from an online site that you usually use to shop from then, it’s obvious that you could trust the message and might become a victim by clicking on the suspicious link & providing your card details to make the payment. To avoid these unfortunate incidents to happen, you should first enquire & confirm from the concerned company by sending them an e-mail or calling customer care support.
- Avoid & Ignore – This is the foremost & important point to remember in mind that you should ignore such types of messages and should never click on the said link as the consequences may be harmful. If you click by mistake, turn off your data or wifi connection ASAP.
- Block the sender – You must put the sender on the blacklist of your contact list so that you will never receive any text from them in the future.
- Report It – If the number of spam messages is increasing in your inbox from different senders despite blocking a few of them then, the ultimate rescue is to report such messages. The cyber team will look into the matter & start an investigation.
What Are The Steps To Report A Spam Text?: Bit.ly Text Message Spam
Before reporting, one should first know from where the text has been sent and what is it’s source. By following these steps, you can unfold a hidden website behind that bit.ly link: –
- Copy the link from the message.
- Paste it into your web browser.
- Add a + (plus) sign after the end of the link.
- Press Enter.
- The link will be unfolded and you can now see the domain name/source and the no. of people that have clicked on it till now.
Now that you are confirmed that the text is spam and from where does it come from, you can report it with the help of these steps: –
- On your phone, go to the messaging app.
- Keep holding the spam message with your thumb for a few seconds.
- Tap on Block and Report Spam.
- Press Ok.
- You can forward the copied text to 7726 (SPAM).
- You can also send a copy to Federal Trade Commission.
The Bottom line –
We all have heard this proverb in our childhood “Prevention is always better than cure”. It applies here appropriately. Why to wait for reporting the matter after you’ve already lost your hard-earned money in a scam, better use your mind and take action in time. Be smarter than the scammers to identify their traps of catchy messages. Don’t be lured by the greed of becoming a millionaire in a single night as you only end up being poor that night rather than being rich. So, Beware of the Spam!!
