Bronx residents get smishing scam texts from fake City Pay number

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Some Bronx residents say they are getting fake texts from City Pay, telling them they could face additional charges for unpaid tickets. The mayor's office says it is a part of a scam, and that New Yorkers should look for certain signs. “If this link, first of all, it has a .com - city agencies don't use .com. Again, like the mayor said, we will never ask you via text message to pay a bill. This is going all over.” said Deputy Mayor Fabien Levy. Consumer and Worker Protection officials say to never respond or click the link in the message. This text is a part of what's called a smishing scam. It uses fake mobile text messages to trick people into downloading malware, sharing sensitive information or sending money to cybercriminals. Tyrone, a Parkchester resident, offers some advice about what to do when a text like this comes up. “What I do, I delete it, I ignore them, I don’t answer numbers that are private or 1-800 numbers. So I basically have a protocol I follow.” said Tyrone. Make sure your smart device is updated - it can also help stop receiving scam texts or calls. "