Smishing / text-message scam
Is the How To Prevent text a scam?
The "How To Prevent" text going around is a smishing (text-message phishing) scam. Legitimate companies do not pressure you to tap a link and enter personal or payment details from an unexpected text.
A wave of texts claiming to be from How To Prevent is circulating in 2026. They are smishing — phishing sent over SMS — built to make you panic and tap a link before you think. Here's exactly what the message looks like, how to spot it, and what to do if you already tapped.
What the How To Prevent scam text looks like
Wording and amounts change, but the structure is always the same: urgency + a link + a request for money or details.
Red flags in the How To Prevent text
- Generic greeting ("Dear customer") and a sender number that isn't the company's real shortcode.
- An urgent deadline ("within 12 hours", "final notice", "avoid suspension") designed to make you act before thinking.
- A link to a site that is not the company's real domain — often a look-alike with extra words or a strange ending (.com-style typos, .xyz, .top).
- A request for payment, card details, or a login from a text you did not expect.
What to do if you got the How To Prevent text
- Don't tap the link. Opening it can load a fake How To Prevent login page or trigger a malicious download.
- Verify independently: open the official How To Prevent app or type the address yourself — never from the text.
- Report it: forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) in the US, then delete it.
- If you already tapped or entered details, change that password now and contact How To Prevent and your bank.
- Run anything you're unsure about through Scam Doctor for a clear Stop / Verify / Continue verdict.
Frequently asked questions
Is the How To Prevent text a scam?
If it arrived unexpectedly and contains a link asking you to pay, verify, or log in, treat it as a scam. Legitimate companies do not pressure you to tap a link and enter personal or payment details from an unexpected text.
What happens if I clicked the link in the How To Prevent text?
Don't enter any details. If you already did, change your How To Prevent password immediately, contact your bank if you shared card or banking info, and watch for further suspicious activity. You can paste the message into Scam Doctor to confirm what it was.
How do I report the How To Prevent scam text?
In the US, forward it to 7726 (which spells "SPAM") so your carrier can block the sender, then report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and delete the message.
How can I check if a How To Prevent text is real?
Don't trust the link. Open the official How To Prevent app or website directly, or paste the message into Scam Doctor for an instant verdict in seconds.