After the recent Verizon outage, scammers are taking full advantage of the confusion by sending highly convincing text messages and emails designed to steal customer information. Multiple reputable news outlets — including Forbes, MSN, and Yahoo News — report that cybercriminals are impersonating Verizon and using references to outage credits, refunds, and service issues to trick customers into clicking malicious links. Here’s what’s happening, why it matters, and how to protect yourself.

What’s going on

When Verizon’s nationwide service interruption left millions without connectivity, the company promised a $20 account credit for affected customers. Verizon followed up with legitimate texts confirming when the credit became available — but that legitimate communication opened the door for scammers.

Scammers are now sending messages that closely mimic Verizon’s legitimate outage communications. Many of these texts and emails reference the $20 credit, ask you to “verify” your information, or claim you have points or rewards to redeem. Others warn of urgent account issues to pressure quick action. In every case, the goal is the same: push you toward a link designed to steal personal or account information.

What the fake messages look like

To help you quickly spot these scams, here are the most common red flags appearing in the messages:

• Mentioning a $20 outage credit or “refund”
• Offering a link to “claim your credit now”
• Asking you to verify account details
• Urging fast action (“expires soon,” “immediate attention required”)
• Coming from unfamiliar or non‑Verizon numbers
• Sometimes mimicking official Verizon formatting

Once you click the link, attackers can lead you to:

• Fake Verizon login pages
• “Member Verification” sites
• Reward or prize redemption pages
• Malware‑infected landing pages

These pages are designed to steal personal information, passwords, and financial data.

Why this scam is especially dangerous

These scams aren’t just aimed at stealing your Verizon login. Once attackers capture your information, they can often escalate the attack. With the right credentials, scammers may try to take control of your phone number, intercept your security codes, and gain access to your email, banking apps, and other sensitive accounts.

SIM swapping risk

One of the biggest concerns with this type of scam attack is SIM swapping — a technique where a scammer transfers your phone number to a SIM card they control. Once this happens:

• Your phone suddenly loses service
• The scammer receives your calls and texts
• They intercept text‑based verification codes
• They reset passwords on your email, banking apps, and financial accounts
• They may drain your accounts before you realize what happened

Because Verizon’s outage created confusion about legitimate texts and credits, attackers are using that uncertainty to push out millions of phishing messages.

How to protect your information

Based on combined reporting about the Verizon threat and cybersecurity best practices.

Claiming Verizon account credits:

• The legitimate $20 credit can only be redeemed by logging into the MyVerizon app yourself.
• Verify credits or alerts only through the MyVerizon app or verizon.com.
• Do not click links in any message claiming to offer outage refunds or credits.

General cybersecurity guidance:

• Be cautious with urgent messages asking for immediate action.
• Be suspicious of texts or emails offering "points," "prizes," or "special offers".
• Enable two‑step verification whenever possible, especially for banking and financial accounts.
• If your phone unexpectedly loses service, contact Verizon immediately — it could be a sign of a SIM swap attempt.

View more fraud & security tips

A reminder from PeoplesBank

If you believe you are a victim of fraud, lock your debit card immediately and contact the PeoplesBank Customer Solutions Center at 877.888.1388 as soon as possible.

PeoplesBank will never ask you to verify transaction details or prompt you to accept an offer by clicking a link in a text or by calling a number provided in a text. If you receive such a message, contact us through official channels.

Staying informed helps keep your identity and your financial information protected.