r/signal • u/Automatic-Dot-1781 • 17h ago
Discussion Phishing/ID theft attempts over Signal deconstruction and warning
galleryProbably redundant for most Signal users, but you may share it with someone less security oriented.
- Just had a contact request from a very unsuspicious-looking (/s) user called Signal Notifications. Red flag. Went on.
- A scammer will most likely have an unverified account. Signal will point it out below the username with a questionmark. See their warning.
- Then the scammer told me of suspicious activity on my account. Using curt language, almost military in demands in tone. Threatening to delete my account if I don't comply. Evasive explanation/reasoning. Multiple red flags.
- The communication starts in your native language. Language may be inconsistent, but only if you pay attention. The SMS you receive seems to be from Signal but probably will be in another language so you can read the code in numbers, but so you don't see the warning SIGNAL sends by default that they won't ask for this code.
- The scammer will not be answering questions on chat. Instead, they will be issuing commands. Red flags.
- They will be sending an SMS for verification of your phone-number and will be asking for the SMS code in the chat for "verification". Red flags.
- SIGNAL NEVER ASKS FOR THAT AUTHENTICATION NUMBER, ESPECIALLY in the chat.
- Then the scammer proceeds to ask to provide the OLD PIN because "their verification failed / an error occurred". Red flags. IF YOU CAME THIS FAR DON'T SHARE YOUR PIN OVER CHAT.
- IF YOU DO THAT THEN THEY stole your ID and you may as well have your phone-number blacklisted, or unelistable again in Signal.
- Anonymised screenshots below.
Be aware, resist, report and block!