Watch out for this EDD text scam

Last updated on July 5th, 2024 at 11:51 am

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Updated: 5/24/2022 video added

For those who live in California (this may hit nationwide as well) keep an eye out for this scam. I was sent a scam text today from CA’s unemployment office. Here it’s called EDD.

I haven’t used EDD in years nor did I need to during Covid lockdowns. So this text sort of has me thinking if it’s a phishing or fraud scam.

The text

the sender info

The text was sent via what looks like an email address. It is listed as 40378@cards.ca. Since CA’s unemployment office issues cards as payment if you don’t do a direct deposit I assume this is where the scam will get you.

Most cards were being issued by Bank of America the last I heard.

The message

The text message was pretty straightforward and to the point. It was similar to the Paypal emails people have gotten.

It states your card has been restricted and you need to visit a link for more info.

Dear EDD Member Your account has been restricted due to recent activity Click Here to Resolve zuz.to/650 ||MSG_ID: TliMJRRKjj

Here’s the thing

As I mentioned before California’s unemployment office doesn’t send out text messages. As I mentioned before it’s been years since I’ve dealt with EDD.

It’s also odd that it came from an email address. Another red flag for me is that the click here to resolve is capitalized. The message ID is also something that’s suspicious.

what you can do

Don’t click on any links in this text. Always reach out to the company in this case EDD directly. You can also report fraud via their website and other resources.

https://askedd.edd.ca.gov/AskEDD/s/categorydetails?category=Report_Fraud

https://edd.ca.gov/en/about_edd/fraud

If you are currently receiving EDD payments you can check your card balance or contact the card issuer as well.

Don’t let anyone fall for this scam. I have a feeling it’s a new phishing scam for possible ID theft.

Let’s get the word out and share this info with others.