Strange text message - what’s the scam and how?

[craigjm]

One of my business contacts gave me their mobile number on LinkedIn today. I put his number into my contacts on my iPhone 13 and sent him a message that just said….

Hey this is my number. I’ll call you when my meeting is done

Message goes as a text rather than iMessage as he is on android

Within seconds I get a message from a completely different number (still a uk number) that said….

Got it! Am on WhatsApp if you use that

I ignored it and when I spoke to him I asked him if he had another number and he said no and didn’t recognise the number.

Coincidence or something more sinister? I didn’t reply to the other number but it just seems odd that I got a message so quick after sending that appeared to reference the message I had just sent

[Bullett]

Coincidence probably.

[richhead]

People still use linkedin??

[Prak]

Malware on his phone, or yours? Something that is snoopng on text messages and forwarding elsewhere. Just a guess.

[craigjm]

Prak said:

Malware on his phone, or yours? Something that is snoopng on text messages and forwarding elsewhere. Just a guess.

This is what got me wondering

[MitchT]

Twice in the past when I've taxed my car I've had texts within a couple of hours telling me I was due a refund on my car tax. I wasn't due a refund. I knew I wasn't due a refund. I deleted the messages. Coincidence?