AARP Pennsylvania is alerting residents to a rising scam that begins with a mistaken or friendly text and leads to attempts to access personal information or promote fake cryptocurrency investments.

Messages often start with lines like, “Hey, are we still meeting later?” If the recipient replies, the sender keeps the conversation going, eventually introducing what appears to be a legitimate financial opportunity.

“These criminals are counting on people’s kindness and curiosity,” said AARP Pennsylvania Volunteer and Chair of the Consumer Issues Task Force Mary Bach. “They want you to lower your guard by pretending to make an honest mistake — but behind the friendly tone is a calculated effort to deceive.”

In April 2025, Americans received more than 19 billion spam texts, according to security software company Robokiller. Consumer advocates say fake “wrong number” messages are an increasingly common way to push crypto scams.

After building trust, the sender may claim to lead a lavish lifestyle, thanks to crypto, and offer to “help” you do the same. These investment platforms are often fake, and funds vanish once transferred.

To protect yourself, AARP Pennsylvania recommends:

• Don’t reply to texts from unknown numbers.

• Don’t click on links in unsolicited messages.

• Block suspicious numbers to stop future contact.

• Never share personal or financial information over text.

• Report scam texts by forwarding them to 7726 (SPAM).

Staying cautious and informed is key to avoiding these evolving threats.

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Pennsylvania Fraud Resource Page at aarp.org/pafraud.