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⚠️The 3-Word Text That Could Empty Your Bank Account
Yesterday I got a text from a number I didn't recognize.
(786) 481-4680.
Miami area code.
The message?
"Hi Christopher, right?"
Three words. That's it.
My first instinct was to reply. Be polite. Say "wrong number" and move on with my day.
I didn't.
And that split-second decision might have saved me thousands of dollars.
Here's what I almost walked into.
That "innocent" text is the opening line of what the FBI calls a "pig butchering" scam.
Weird name. Devastating consequences.
HERE'S HOW THE SCAM WORKS
They send thousands of these texts. "Hi [name], right?" They're fishing. Waiting for someone polite enough to respond.
If you reply—even just "wrong number"—you've confirmed two things:
- This phone number is active.
- There's a real person here willing to engage.
Now you're a qualified lead.
The scammer apologizes. Strikes up a conversation. Maybe mentions it's "fate" that you connected.
Over the next few weeks—sometimes months—they build trust. They become your friend. Maybe more.
Then comes the hook.
A cryptocurrency opportunity. A trading platform. An "investment" that seems too good to pass up.
By the time you realize what's happening, your money is gone.
And I mean gone.
Think I'm being dramatic?
Last year, text message scams cost Americans $470 million.
That's five times higher than 2020.
These aren't Nigerian princes with bad grammar anymore. They're sophisticated operations using AI to manage conversations with hundreds of victims simultaneously.
The Miami area code on that text I received? Spoofed. Could have come from anywhere in the world.
The fact that they used my first name? Probably pulled from a data breach. Or my LinkedIn. Or anywhere else my info exists online.
This isn't random. It's targeted. It's patient. And it's designed to exploit the one thing most of us were raised to be:
Polite.
So here's what you do when you get one of these:
Do NOT respond. Not even "wrong number." Silence is your best protection.
Block the number. Immediately.
Forward the text to 7726 (that spells SPAM). This reports it to your carrier.
Delete it. And move on with your life.
The FTC says it perfectly: "It's not rude to ignore 'hi, how are you?' texts from strangers. It's smart."
Look, you've spent years building your shop.
Late nights. Tough calls. Customers who tested your patience. Techs who didn't work out.
Don't let some scammer pretending to dial the wrong number become the most expensive text you ever received.
Screenshot this post.
The next time you get a random "Hi, is this [name]?" text—you'll know exactly what it is.
Drop a in the comments if you've gotten one of these texts.👇
I'm curious how widespread this is in our community.
P.S. Know another shop owner who's too polite for their own good? Tag them below. Seriously. This one matters.
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⚠️The 3-Word Text That Could Empty Your Bank Account
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