Here's why That Harmless Picture of a Wine Bottle or a Selfie Could be the Bait for a Scam

Consuming content endlessly through social media and messaging apps is considered harmless, but it could lead to anything in the digital age, when scammers are finding increasingly creative ways to lure victims online. One of the latest tactics employed by cyber-criminals involves sending seemingly harmless pictures to unsuspecting individuals, such as images of wine bottles or selfies. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has warned netizens that these innocent-looking texts might be the beginning of a more sinister scheme.

The scam is often initiated through an out-of-the-blue text containing a photo, which is usually a disembodied hand holding up a wine bottle, without any accompanying caption or context. According to Melanie McGovern, the director of public relations and social media at the BBB, the primary goal of these messages is to elicit a response. It's a fishing expedition to determine if the number is associated with a real person and to gauge how far the scammer can manipulate the recipient.

In some reported cases, recipients responded to the mystery text, leading to a seemingly harmless conversation about wine. However, as the exchange progressed, the scammer shifted focus, asking for personal details like the recipient's name and age. This abrupt change in tone and content should have raised red flags for those who later fell prey to the scheme.

This type of scam falls under the category of "wrong number scams," which exploit our society's inherent politeness. McGovern notes that when people receive a text for a wrong number, their initial response is often to politely inform the sender, and this courtesy is exactly what is exploited by scammers, who, once acknowledged, go on to persistently pester the individual. In some cases, they may even send malicious links that could download malware onto the recipient's device or attempt to extract personal and identifying information.

A similar scam, involving unsolicited photos of a red-headed woman, had triggered an alarm back in 2022, as recipients who responded with a simple "you have the wrong number" found themselves engaged in prolonged conversations. The scammer skillfully used this initial response as a launching pad to build a connection, which they would later use to extract private information.

The BBB emphasizes the importance of vigilance when encountering these deceptive messages. If you receive such a text, the best course of action is to ignore it, delete it, or mark it as spam. Responding to the sender, even with innocent intentions, may open the door to further harassment or potentially compromise your cybersecurity.

If the conversation takes an unexpected turn or becomes suspicious, it's crucial to trust your instincts. Apart from this, users need to avoid clicking on any links provided and refrain from sharing personal information, even if the sender claims that the user has won something. The prevalence of such scams further highlights the need for users to exercise caution in their digital interactions and prioritize cybersecurity.