Is a text message from 95246 legitimate in 2026?
Short answer: Yes — a text from the short-code 95246 can be legitimate, but you should treat it with caution and verify the context before trusting it.
Why it can be legitimate
The number 95246 is a short code registered to ID.me (ID.me), an identity-verification service used by government agencies and others. One directory entry shows:
“Short Code 95246 is owned by ID.me … providing SMS verification services for IRS.gov and USPTO.gov.” Source: Texting World
Another explains that if you’ve recently used ID.me (for example with a government site) you might legitimately receive a 95246 text with a verification code or transaction notice.
So, if you recently used ID.me for verification or you used a service that uses ID.me, seeing a message from 95246 could be expected.
Why you still need to be cautious
Even though the number is tied to ID.me, there are several reasons you shouldn’t automatically trust any message from 95246:
- You may not have initiated a request. If you did not attempt verification or login via ID.me and get a text claiming you did, it could be someone else’s activity or a sign of fraud.
- Short-codes and spoofing risks. Short codes like 95246 can be legitimate, but scammers may attempt to spoof or mimic such codes, or send similar messages from different numbers. The fact that the code “should” be legitimate doesn’t guarantee the text you got is safe.
- Context matters. Legit messages will often relate directly to an action you initiated or need to respond to (for example, “Here is your code,” or “Was this you?”). If the message contains a link asking for credentials, personal information, or you weren’t expecting anything — that’s a red flag. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reminds us: “If you weren’t expecting the text and it asks you for personal or financial info — don’t click links.” Consumer Advice
- Government agency contacts. If the text claims to be from a government agency (for example the Internal Revenue Service) but is unsolicited, the IRS itself says they will not initiate contact via text message asking for personal or financial information. IRS
How to verify a message from 95246
Here’s a simple checklist I use to decide if a message from 95246 is genuinely tied to ID.me or a scam:
- Did I recently do something that would trigger an ID.me verification (logging into a government portal, resetting an account, etc.)?
- Does the message reference exactly what I did (e.g., “Your code for ID.me login is 123456”) rather than vague or broad “account locked” claims?
- Is there a link? If yes — is it clearly the official domain (for example id.me) and the context makes sense? If you’re unsure, manually open the ID.me site yourself (not via link) and check your account.
- Did I expect this message? If not, treat it as a potential scam: do not reply or click on any links, and consider reporting the number or blocking it. The FTC says you can forward suspicious texts to 7726 (SPAM) for your carrier to investigate. Consumer Advice
My final take
So yes — a text from 95246 can be legitimate and tied to a verified service (ID.me). But simply seeing that number doesn’t guarantee safety. Always match the message to your recent actions and verify links or requests for personal data. When in doubt — don’t respond, click, or give info — you can always go directly to the website or service to check your account.
If you like, I can check recent reports for this exact short code in 2026 to see if there’s been any uptick in spoofing or scams using it.
- Phishing