All articles tagged with #smishing
Despite warnings from authorities, U.S. phone users continue to fall victim to text message scams, primarily from Chinese organized crime groups, with attacks evolving from toll and package scams to banking fraud, emphasizing the importance of deleting suspicious messages and not engaging with them.
The FBI has issued a warning about a new SMS scam, known as "smishing," targeting road tolls, with over 2,000 complaints reported. The scam involves fake texts claiming unpaid tolls and urging recipients to click on a link to settle the balance, potentially leading to malware downloads or sensitive information sharing. If you receive such a text, the FBI advises filing a complaint, not clicking the link, checking your toll account on the legitimate website, and deleting the text. If you provided information, it's recommended to secure your personal and financial accounts and dispute any unfamiliar charges.
"Smishing" is a form of phishing where scammers attempt to obtain personal and banking information through unsolicited text messages. They often pose as government agencies, businesses, or package delivery services. Americans lost $330 million to smishing scams in 2022. To protect yourself, be cautious of unsolicited messages asking for personal information, be suspicious of urgent requests, and verify with the source by calling instead of relying on text messages. To block smishing messages, use filtering options on your phone and report them to your wireless provider or the FTC. If you've already fallen victim to a smishing scam, get your computer checked for malware, stop communication with the scammer, and report the incident to your bank and relevant authorities.
Scammers are using "smishing" (SMS phishing) to trick people into revealing personal and banking information through unsolicited text messages. They often pose as government agencies, companies, or package delivery services. Americans lost $330 million to smishing scams in 2022. To protect yourself, be cautious of unsolicited messages asking for personal information, be suspicious of urgent requests, and verify with the source by calling instead of relying on text messages. Block or filter unsolicited messages, report smishing to authorities, and if you've already been scammed, get your computer checked for malware and contact your bank to report fraudulent transactions.
Scammers impersonating the IRS over the phone, email, texts, and more have caused more than 75,000 victims to lose $28 million since 2018. The IRS will never contact taxpayers first via email or telephone, but will always contact them in writing a letter. Taxpayers can always question or appeal what they owe, and caller ID can be faked. Scammers often use aggressive and threatening tactics, but are also evolving to lure people with promises of a tax refund or rebate. Consumers who are victims of imposter scams can report them to the IRS or to the FTC.
Cyber defence company BlueVoyant has issued an urgent warning to millions of Gmail and Outlook email users over a 240% increase in phishing scams, with some of them hard to spot. Fraudsters are using a technique called dynamic phishing in a bid to steal people's personal information and financial details. Mobile users are also being targeted with a technique known as smishing. Users should be wary of unexpected emails, such as invoices from well-known online companies, and if in doubt look up the company URL online themselves rather than following a link.