Warning: Replying to a 'Wrong Number' Text Marks You as a Target for Scams
KnowBe4, Friday, August 28th, 2026
KnowBe4 relays Malwarebytes research showing wrong-number texts are reconnaissance to identify active phone numbers.
Attackers are using wrong-number texts to identify potential scam targets, according to researchers at Malwarebytes.
The messages appear to be harmless notes meant for someone else, such as 'Are we still on for dinner tomorrow?' or 'Where's the PowerPoint?' Recipients often try to be helpful and reply to let the sender know they have the wrong number.
That reply is the point: it confirms to the threat actor that the number is active and monitored by a responsive person, marking it for future scam campaigns. The advice is to ignore rather than correct such messages.