New York Issues Warning After Accidental Spam Text Sent Through Official Alert System

New York State officials are warning residents to ignore a spam text that was mistakenly sent through the state’s official alert system this week. The message, which appeared to come from the state, falsely claimed a “B of A” (Bank of America) transaction had been declined and urged recipients to confirm the charge by calling a listed phone number.

State officials say the text was sent in error on Monday by a third-party vendor that manages the state’s text alert system. A follow-up message sent Tuesday morning clarified that the original alert was not legitimate and urged recipients not to respond.

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The state uses the same system to send official updates on weather emergencies, tax filing reminders, and other public information. Officials say the issue originated with a vendor and was not the result of a data breach.

Protecting Yourself from Phishing

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that phishing scams often use urgent or familiar-sounding messages to trick people into sharing sensitive information. Red flags include generic greetings, messages about account holds, or links requesting payment updates.

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Experts recommend installing security software, keeping devices updated, and using multi-factor authentication to protect accounts. New York’s ITS advises residents to stay cautious with all messages, even those that appear to come from trusted sources.

Anyone who believes they’ve been targeted by a scam should report it to reportfraud.ftc.gov.

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