Yahoo mail 2FA text seemed suspicious and caused me to notify the bank. Is this suspicious to you?
Hi lovely redditors,
Yesterday I was helping my mother check up on her Yahoo Mail email security and 2FA settings. When starting the log in process, we request the 2FA code via SMS text and, as expected, she received a security code SMS. However the SMS message set off my alarm bells.
The number was a local phone number, and the SMS was suspicious with bad grammar and the use of numbers: "Is your Yah00 verification c0de" and then the code. The actual code was the correct code. I know this because I typed it in to Yahoo Mail and it was accepted, and then I realized that the rest of the text was suspicious. I am sure that the Yahoo Mail website was the official website.
To be safe, we've called her bank, blocked new digital transactions and followed other (potentially) necessary security steps.
I've done as much research as my non-expert butt can. I can find two possible scenarios, but not much evidence or proof for either of them (just other reddit-user stories):
- My mother's security is compromised, potentially with a man-in-the-middle forwarding situation going on.
- Yahoo is trying to bypass paying business fees with the phone provider, and therefore using local numbers and alternative text to bypass the phone provider filters from mass/automated texts.
My questions are: Has anyone seen/heard of this before? What do you think is going on? Did I overreact or is my mother's security compromised?
Thanks for your thoughts! :)
Edit: clarifying a bit of the text. The screenshot can be found in the comments below :)