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| - A copypasta warning is circulating online about the purported dangers of opening a scam text message — or potentially an email — that says U.S. President-elect Donald Trump was arrested. According to the claim, opening or clicking on a link in the message will grant scammers access to recipients' bank accounts. This warning began circulating on or just before Nov. 13, 2024, days after Trump's reelection victory and many months after his indictments on a range of criminal charges.
Snopes received numerous reader inquiries about the warning. For example, one reader asked, "Is it true there is a scam going on about a message that Trump got arrested, and if you click on it, they will scam and get access to your bank account?" Another reader shared a copied and pasted version of the rumor that claimed, "Warning! If you get a text that Trump was arrested don't open it because it will attack your bank account. Tell all your friends."
X users shared the rumor, with one person posting (archived), in part, "HEADS UP! If you get a text that Trump was arrested don't open it because it will attack your bank account. Tell all your friends. Delete immediately. May be nothing, but got from a reliable source."
A Facebook user also posted the rumor with a bright red background, writing (archived), "Warning! If you get a text Trump was arrested don't open it! It will attack your bank account."
The warning is a hoax, however. We have yet to locate any screenshots or transcripts of an actual text message fitting this description. The hoax is similar to one we reported about in October 2016, which falsely claimed that clicking on a picture of Trump in a social media post titled "Donald Trump Arrested" would install a virus on users' devices.
We received nearly 20 reader emails and reviewed dozens of social media posts — and their comments — that warned users of the purported dangers of interacting with the "Trump arrested" text message. None of the emails, posts or comments, featured a screenshot or transcript of the supposed text message. Many of the emails and posts — and at least one YouTube user (archived) — said they learned of the matter from a family member, friend or acquaintance. We couldn't determine who started the hoax.
Further online searches — including of Reddit.com and its ever-reliable r/Scams community — produced no credible discussions about the purported scam or screenshots of the text message.
What To Know About Text Scams
Despite what some of the users claimed, consumers can't get scammed simply by opening and reading a text message. For a scam to succeed, the scammers typically need recipients to respond to the message or click on a link.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published a full guide on text message scams, primarily that scammers attempt to steal consumers' personal and financial information. If any readers provided personal or financial details to scammers, we recommend reporting the text messages to the FTC using the instructions at the bottom of their guide. Additionally, we advise contacting the associated bank or credit card company — either by visiting a branch or calling an official number (not one provided in the scam text) — to address the issue.
If you find additional details on the purported "Trump arrested" scam text message, please reach out to us.
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