The Better Business Bureau is warning about text-message scams this holiday season.

The bureau's Canton-based office said people across the U.S. are reporting receiving spam text messages, called "smishing," saying people have won a pricey gift card.

The message says that a person has won a gift card to a major retailer, like Best Buy, Target or Walmart. Then it instructs the person to go to a website, enter a PIN and claim the gift card.

The text's URL leads to a website that has the company's colors and logo. It looks authentic with the company's name as the site's sub-domain. An example is www.bestbuy.scamwebsite.com.

People are asked to enter the PIN and an email address. Then, they are taken to a form and instructed to fill out their name, cellphone number, mailing address and answer unrelated personal questions like, "Are you interested in going back to school?" and "Are you diabetic?" When they reach the page to "claim your gift card," they instead find themselves directed to another site to apply for a credit card.

The BBB said in its release that the texts "are just a way to collect personal information for shady advertisers."

Scammers often change the store names and cash amounts of the gift cards. A typical text message is, "Black Friday Winner #88323! You have WON the Best Buy Gift Card for $1000! Get your prize at WEBSITE now! Use the code 5417."


TIPS: What To Do About Scam Text Messages (Source: Better Business Bureau):

- Ignore instructions to text "STOP" or "NO" to prevent future texts. This is a common ploy by scammers to confirm they have a real, active phone number.

-Forward the texts to 7726 (SPAM on most keypads). This will alert your cellphone carrier to block future texts from those numbers.

-If you think your text message is real, be sure it's directing to a web address like Bestbuy.com or Target.com, not www.bestbuy.otherwebsite.com.

-And as always, if you think getting a free $1,000 gift card seems too good to be true, it probably is.


To find out more about scams, check out the new BBB Scam Stopper at http://www.bbb.org/scam-stopper/.

For more information, learn what your cellphone carrier has to say about stopping spam.Click for advice from the following providers:


- ATT (http://www.wireless.att.com/support_static_files/KB/svc/documents/1220912515172.Anti-spam%20FAQ%20080707%20Consumer.pdf)

- Verizon  (http://support.verizonwireless.com/faqs/Features%20and%20Optional%20Services/spam_controls.html)

- T-Mobile (http://www.t-mobile.com/Company/PrivacyResources.aspx?tp=Abt_Tab_PhishingSMishing&tsp=Abt_Sub_IdentityTheft_SMiShing)

- Sprint (http://support.sprint.com/support/pages/printTemplate.jsp?articleId=case-gz982789-20120420-003932)