Several outlets describe a simple method—often referred to as the “scam text test”—intended to help people identify phishing text messages before interacting with them. The guidance focuses on recognizing common scam themes in SMS messages, including fake delivery notifications, toll or payment notices, and alerts that appear to come from banks. The approach emphasizes pausing before clicking links, sharing content, or replying, and instead using a brief checklist to judge whether the message is legitimate. While the outlets do not present evidence about any specific incident, they align on the idea that scammers frequently use urgent or convincing language to push recipients into taking immediate action. The “scam text test” is presented as a practical, user-facing prevention step designed to reduce the chance of falling for fraudulent links and potentially harmful sites. Overall, the sources agree the goal is to encourage safer handling of unexpected texts by verifying details and treating suspicious messages as potential phishing until proven otherwise.