Messages that warn of hackers accessing your bank account if you open a text are likely “virus hoaxes.” A variation of this one has been online since 2021.
Several readers emailed and texted VERIFY asking about social media posts that warn people that opening a text message about President-elect Donald Trump being arrested could give hackers access to your bank account.
THE QUESTION
Are the warnings about the “Trump arrest” text message virus legitimate?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
No, the warnings about the “Trump arrest” text message virus aren’t legitimate. Posts with similar text date back to at least 2021, and VERIFY was unable to find any reports indicating that any virus or hack ever existed.
WHAT WE FOUND
There is no evidence to support warnings that opening a text about Trump’s arrest can hack your bank account. Similar social media posts with this warning have circulated for years in various forms.
Social media posts with …