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Worried!Text from unknown number-Had my name-odd link

D

Deleted User

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Around 11 PM last night I heard my text notification.

Upon looking it was from a strange number from the opposite side of the country (U.S)

I have a VERY unique first name. So what I found scary was that it had my first name in the text it said

Hey -My Name- Someone is trying to video chat with you on Cake.

The url it had was- (I am going to add space so its not an active link) www.cake.tv/
sms?u+477828_380c

I did NOT click on the link I presume its some sort of phishing scam. What I do want to know is HOW they would have my first name, which by the way I do not link to any of my accounts since it is so unique.

Was someone who had my name in their contacts hacked?

Does anyone know what that link would have done?
 
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I'm guessing it was just a marketing e-mail. If you signed up for any promotions in the past year where you needed to include your name and e-mail to win something or enter something or anything like that... often times those lists get resold, sometimes to really shady 3rd parties.

I wouldn't worry about it, but if you want to be extra careful, go ahead and change the password of your email and bank accounts.
 
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I'm guessing it was just a marketing e-mail. If you signed up for any promotions in the past year where you needed to include your name and e-mail to win something or enter something or anything like that... often times those lists get resold, sometimes to really shady 3rd parties.

I wouldn't worry about it, but if you want to be extra careful, go ahead and change the password of your email and bank accounts.

Thanks Rob, the thing is I do not ever sign up for any promotions anywhere as I know they are just opportunities to sell my information.
 
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Have you ever given *any* business your name and number? I know they have boxes to opt out of marketing (or should have), but you only need to forget/overlook one and they may well sell your details.

Sometimes even if you have opted out: back in the days when junk mail was the main thing my brother always used to add small spelling errors to his address and keep a record of which company had which error. They would still deny it was them who had sold the address, of course, but would go very quiet when he told them about the deliberate error in the address...
 
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Hell, it could be that someone you know installed an app that uploaded their phonebook to the developer's servers, who then sold it on to spammers or scammers. You only have to give your number to some idiot who doesn't understand or care about their own privacy and that's yours gone too.

This is also why I have no time for people who say "but this app works for me and I don't care about the privacy concerns" - it's not just your own details you have on your phone.
 
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