Earlier today ScamWatch released a warning about a distressing scam that is targeting people via text.

These messages claim that the sender is in an emergency situation and need to be contacted immediately.

The scam texts have been on the rise over the past couple of days, coming from numbers that aren’t in a recipients contact list. It will say something to the effect of, “Please call me back right away. It is an Emergency I need your help!”

It’s unclear what the purpose of this scam is at the present time, as those who have responded to the texts haven’t been asked for identifying information. Instead, they have been on the receiving end of a reportedly distressing recording that contains verbal abuse.

The ACCC has stated that people haven’t been losing money as a result of the texts, but it is important to remain cautious and not respond to the texts.

If you think you’ve been the victim of a scam, you can report it over on the ScamWatch website.

This article was originally published by Gizmodo Australia. Read the original here.

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