Noortimer Scam: Fake Equifax and IRS Texts
Author: Trend Micro
Have you come across text messages containing a link to noortimer[.]com recently? Many people are wondering if it’s legitimate. The short answer is NO! Keep on reading for the full story.
Noortimer Scam
Noortimer[.]com has appeared on our radar in at least two different types of text message phishing attacks.
#1 — Equifax
We reported on Equifax text scams last week. Posing as Equifax, scammers falsely claim your credit score has dropped and prompt you to click on phishing links to “resolve” the issue. Noortimer[.]com was among the list of sample fake Equifax websites.
Many fake Equifax texts are still circulating this week. For example, we’ve detected and blocked the text message below 2,597 times between January 24 to January 30:
- Equifax_Alert: <PHONE> ATTN: Your score dropped 00 Pts, More info <URL>
#2 — IRS Offer in Compromise Scam
Besides fake Equifax texts, noortimer[.]com was also featured in phishing attempts from scammers impersonating the IRS.
As the 2024 tax season begins, many people have started to work on tax filing. Even if you haven’t started yet, chances are that you might receive emails or texts that claim to be from the IRS — watch out!
- Eliminate all tax debt with this secret the IRS does not want you to know about http:// noortimer[.]com. (blocked 227 times by Trend Micro last week)
Note: The IRS won’t initiate contact with you by email, text messages, or social media!
Noortimer and Other Scam Red Flags
Although noortimer[.]com is no longer accessible, there are still several scam red flags to be aware of:
- A very recent site registration date — you can check a site’s age quickly by using the Whois look-up tool.
- Bad reputation? Check the verdict from the anti-scam website ScamAdviser. Noortimer[.]com has a Trustscore rating of just 20 out of 100:
For more tips on how to check if a website is safe to use, check out this article.
Stay Safe Online
The truth is, there are lots of scams and scam sites on the internet and they’re getting even more difficult to detect with common sense alone. However, for an easy and reliable method of detecting and avoiding scam sites, check out Trend Micro ID Protection (for FREE!).
ID Protection can shield you from scams, fake and malware-infected websites, dangerous emails, phishing links, and lots more! If you come across something risky online, you’ll be alerted in real-time so you’ll know to stay well clear.
This article was published in collaboration with Trend Micro
Image Source: Pexels.com
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