Why this is fraud

• The area code of the text is Orlando, Florida
• The text does not contain any personalized greeting
• It is unlikely that President Weinman would reach out directly via text message for a casual conversation
• The phone number traces to an individual not associated with Marist College

Additional notes

• What is a SMISH? It is a short way to refer to messages sent by texting, also known as SMS
• Scams by text are very common - here is more information from the FTC on how to recognize them: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-report-spam-text-messages
• Did you know: a great way find out quickly if this is a legitimate text is to search the originating phone number in Google to validate whether or not it is valid
• What would happen if you reply? It is likely that engaging in a text message exchange would lead to a financial fraud, such as wiring funds or purchasing gift cards
• Impersonation by SMS is becoming very common! Be very cautious with text messages from people who are not in your current contact list