Today, Explained That text is a scam
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Nov 2, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, reporter Alex Salmon shares his first-hand experience with a text-message job scam, unraveling the deceptive tactics employed by scammers. Former prosecutor Erin West reveals the dark reality of trafficked workers trapped in scam operations, detailing their harrowing experiences. Journalist Matt Burgess tackles the intricate workings of smishing syndicates and the perpetual cycle of scams. Together, they expose the grim mechanics behind these scams and offer practical advice to protect against them.
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Reporter Joins A Job-Text Scam
- Alex Salmon replied "yes" to a group job-text and entered a months-long scam that asked him to click repetitively and buy crypto top-ups.
- He lost about $96 and was never able to cash out despite ongoing contact with his recruiter "Kathy".
Never Prepay For A Job
- Avoid jobs that require you to prepay or send money via cryptocurrency, gift cards, or other irreversible methods.
- Report scams to the FTC but expect limited remediation and stay cautious about shame that pushes you deeper.
The Smishing Triad's Industrial Scale
- The Smishing Triad is a huge smishing syndicate sending roughly 100,000 scam texts per day and operating globally.
- They build and sell scam software, creating a plug-and-play criminal ecosystem that scales fraud massively.