The California Employment Development Department (EDD) advises individuals about the increasing presence of smishing scams. These scams are crimes where fraudsters pretending to be from EDD or Bank of America coerce victims into giving up sensitive information through text messages or phone calls. The term smishing is specifically used to define fraudulent activities linked to text messages.

The common scam scenario involves bogus, official-looking messages inviting victims to click on a suspicious URL. This URL often redirects to a deceptive site that closely resembles a legitimate workforce agency’s site. The main goal is to extract personal information and use it to submit fraudulent benefits claims on the victim’s behalf.

Fortunately, to verify a text’s authenticity, EDD suggests accessing your online account or cross-referencing with relevant account information sent through the traditional mail system.

The EDD provides additional tips for individuals to discern scam texts. If you suspect you’ve been targeted by a smishing scam, it’s immediately recommended to report it to the National Center for Disaster Fraud either by filling out an NCDF Complaint Form or calling 866-720-5721. EDD also allows individuals to report this type of fraud by visiting their Ask EDD platform and selecting the Report Fraud category.

If you need to talk to a representative for any queries or concerns about these scams, visit eddcaller.com to know how to contact EDD. They offer guidance on many issues, including how to reach an agent at EDD and access EDD customer service. It’s essential to stay vigilant about potential scams, and contacting EDD can provide additional information and help ease worries.