Suffolk police warn of cell phone 'phishing' scams

Scam artists have gone cell phone "phishing," said Suffolk police, who are warning area residents not to get hooked.

The scammers send text messages that are "designed to trick potential victims into giving up their personal identifying information," police said.

The texts usually claim to be from financial institutions, but sometimes state they have been sent by government agencies or other merchants.

Police said the scams have one thing in common: They inform the recipient that they need to supply information to update databases, recover information from computer system crashes or remedy other problems with the victim's accounts.

Police warned that you should never reveal personal information to anyone who has made unsolicited contact by phone, e-mail or text message.

"To prevent becoming a victim of a scam, the Identity Theft Unit recommends residents verify any request through independent means before releasing any of your personal information," police said.