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"Wrong number" texts that turn into scams

Updated October 23, 2026

Some are honest mistakes. Many are the start of a scam.

A text like "Hi Dr. Richard" or "May I ask who I am speaking with?" from a number you don't know is a common opening for scams. The sender keeps chatting, becomes a friend, and later steers you to a crypto or investment platform that's fake. You don't need to reply to find out which kind it is: report the text and delete it.

The text people are getting

Hi Dr. Richard, […] I was playing with my puppy today and noticed a lump under his nipple.

As reported by AARP, December 2024.

Hello Mark, I’ve been expecting your call

As reported by Shaw Local, "Seniors vs. Crime" column (Iowa), November 2025.

Hello, I found this contact saved under my assistant's old notes, but the name tag was blank. May I ask who I am speaking with?

As reported by GovTech (Dan Lohrmann), September 2026.

How the scam works

  1. A friendly text seems meant for someone else. It's about a vet appointment, a dinner plan, or a business contact. The FTC says the first message might just say "hello" or ask if you want to get coffee.
  2. They keep the conversation going. When you say it's the wrong number, they apologize and keep chatting. The FTC says these scammers "strike up a fake friendship."
  3. The talk turns to money. They claim to be successful investors and steer you to an investment platform, often for crypto. The FTC calls these platforms bogus. In one Iowa case, the sender moved the chat to Telegram before pitching crypto.
  4. The platform is fake. Federal prosecutors in Missouri described victims who were drawn in by a "wrong number" text and then sent money to fake trading platforms.

Signs it's a scam

What to do

Report it

Questions

Is it rude not to reply to a wrong-number text?

No. If it really was a mistake, the sender will sort it out. Replying is what opens the conversation these scams depend on.

What is pig butchering?

It's the name for long scams where the scammer builds a friendship over days or weeks, then talks the victim into a fake investment. Many start with a text that seems to be meant for someone else.

I've been chatting with someone who texted me by mistake. How do I know if it's a scam?

If they bring up crypto, trading, or an investment app, or ask you to move the chat to another app, treat it as a scam. Don't send money or crypto to anyone you've only met by text.

I already sent money. What now?

Stop sending money, save the messages and transaction details, and report it to the FBI at ic3.gov and to the CFTC at cftc.gov/complaint. If you paid from a bank account or card, call your bank too.

Sources

Facts checked October 23, 2026.

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