Louisiana Reports Rise in Dangerous ‘Look Who Just Died’ Text Scam

Have you or someone you know received a text from someone you know that reads "Look who just died" along with a link to an obituary? Don't click on it, and here's why...

Look Who Just Died Text Scam

Imagine getting a text from someone you know, someone from your phone's contact list, that reads "Look who just died" with a link to an obituary.

The text is from someone you know, someone you trust.

Chances are you wouldn't think twice and click the link to see who it is that someone you trust wants you to know has passed away.

And that's when your phone becomes infected with malware.

First reported in 2018, it seems this text scam is bubbling back up again in 2023.

Because it seemingly comes from a trusted source and plays on the fear of a loved one passing away, it's one of the most dangerous malware scams there is.

What Is Malware?

Malware stands for "Malicious Software and is defined by cisco.com as "intrusive software that is designed to damage and destroy computers and computer systems.  Examples of common malware include viruses, worms, Trojan viruses, spyware, adware, and ransomware."

Once malware gets onto your phone by clicking the link sent with the "Look who just died" text scam, it can steal all of your personal information, block you from accessing it, modify it, and even delete it from your phone.

Malware can also act as spyware and just sit back and monitor everything you do on your phone, stealing financial passwords while granting remote access to your device to other preditors.

Some of the "Look who just died" scam texts claim to come from the Parish medical examiner and even use the name of an actual family member.

From thegazette.com -

"The message stated that a family member - who was identified by name - had died and instructed the recipient to reply to the text message. If the recipient had replied, the sheriff's office said it likely would have made the recipient's cellphone vulnerable to malware, making the phone and all its information available to a hacker.

The text also included an old address for the Medical Examiner Department, as well as a fake phone number."

The bottom line?

Never, ever click on anything on any device that you don't 100% trust or can't completely verify to be legitimate.

No matter what.