Be on the lookout for suspicious messages. Don’t click the links inside a suspicious text or otherwise engage the sender. Instead, report the message by forwarding it to 7726 (SPAM). If you think a link might be legitimate, go directly to the company’s website instead of clicking on the included link.

Don’t mess with the scammers. Some people like to mess with the people behind the scams by texting them back and leading them on. This is a very bad idea. If nothing else, it lets the scammer know that you’re a real person. But don’t worry if you open up a scam text on your phone. Unless you click on a link or download an attachment, you’re not in danger of being hacked.  

Think before you hand over your number. Retailers and other companies love to collect them, but do they really need yours? Like your email addresses, if your phone number is in a company database that gets hacked, it’ll likely end up sold to cybercriminals for use in these kinds of attacks. Just like the rest of your personal information, the fewer people who have it, the better.  

Keep your private info private. Never provide personal or financial information in response to an SMS request.

Don’t sideload. Stick with apps from your phone’s official app store. The Apple or Google stores aren’t perfect, but they do vet the apps in them for security and privacy.