‘Your data has been breached’: But is the message itself hiding a scam?

(NEXSTAR) – Cyber experts are warning that the message no one wants to receive – “Your data has been breached” – could actually be the first phase of a popular scam.

It often works like this: an email or text pops up warning that personal data has been breached, often with a sense of urgency, adding that immediate action is necessary to keep from getting locked out of one’s account.

“These scams have been around for years, but they’ve become much more common over time as data breaches themselves have increased,” Ian Bednowitz, general manager for LifeLock, told Nexstar.

Red flags to watch out for

Those messages may come with a suspicious link or attachment and request personal or financial information.

“We see this pattern again and again,” Michael Bruemmer, head of global data-breach resolution at Experian, told the Wall Street Journal. “The scammer waits for a real breach to make headlines, then rides the wave of public concern to trick people.”

Experts warn that, as with many scam attempts, a bogus........

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