Why Knowing About A Telegraph Scam is Useful

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I had another idea for a blog post today, but this one became necessary. When I turned on my phone this morning, I had a text from a number not in my contacts. It was a notification from telegram. I don’t have a telegram account and didn’t even know what it was until I researched. In case you are like me and have no idea what telegram is according to its website telegraph is “a messaging app with a focus on speed and security, it’s super-fast, simple and free” (https://telegram.org/faq#q-what-is-telegram-what-do-i-do-here). I erased the message but got curious as to how a user on the app got my number.

After eating I did some more research. Suspecting the message was a scam, I started to see if I could figure it out. My research didn’t make me happy. I value my privacy even more now that so much of my life is shared with all of you. Discovering that the text was a scam for a bot to set up an account and get access to my phone if I had clicked on the link got me thinking about what more I can do to protect my privacy.

I want to share the strategies to do just that, so you can protect yourselves and those you love better. They are in no order below.

  1. block the number on Hiya. Hiya is the call blocking app I use. I use the free version. You can learn about Hiya and download it here: https://www.hiya.com/products/app
  2. use a text blocker app. These are the free ones I found in the app store. They are SpamHound SMS filter and SMS Filter Spam Junk Messages
  3. I also recommend having a different password for each social media platform you use and have apps downloaded for on your phone.
  4. Utilizing a mixture of capitalizations, numbers, letters, and special characters for every password protected account is also helpful
  5. cleaning the browser history on your phone and other devices regularly also helps protect yourself
  6. do not answer text messages from unknown numbers

Utilizing these tips is part of the way I show myself care. I hope you find them helpful for you and those you love too.

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