ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (AP) -- Police in Kentucky have been receiving complaints about a text messaging scam seeking money or personal information.

The News-Enterprise reported (http://bit.ly/KA4dWq ) that Elizabethtown police have seen an increase in the use of the SMSing scam in which Internet users are tricked. The scam starts through text messages, which give a premise for releasing information or sending money, such as posing as a bank or credit card representative or saying the recipient won a retail gift card.

Verizon Account Executive Rachel Hannah told WPSD-TV in Paducah (http://bit.ly/LoD2vy ) that scammers are picking blocks of phone numbers and sending messages to them.

Elizabethtown police say residents should review their bank and credit card companies' policies on sending text messages and watch for messages of numbers that read "5000."