FYI:<\/strong> You can usually count on the Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Medicare, and other governmental bodies to contact you with important account information via snail mail.4<\/a><\/sup> So, if you get a text from a government agency, it\u2019s usually safe to assume it\u2019s a smishing message.<\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n \n<\/div>\n\n Well, our cybersecurity experts are here to help you navigate this new form of scamming. With over 300,000 people falling victim to phishing, it\u2019s safe to assume smishing accounts for a decent amount of those cases. So, make sure you don\u2019t become a part of that statistic by using our expert advice to stay safe.<\/p>\n Smishing is the text message version of phishing. When smishing, cybercriminals send harmful links via text message that ask you to provide secure information. Phishers throw out \u201cbait\u201d by making enticing offers, threatening you, or offering to help you with something. When you take the bait, phishers may be able to hack malware into your phone<\/a> or extract your private information out of it.<\/p>\n Phishing has been around since the mid-1990s (an AOL scandal was the first known instance). In the early 2000s, scammers often posed as major companies like eBay<\/a> or PayPal, soliciting passwords or updated payment information.5<\/a><\/sup> But it was still more of a dragnet operation than a spearfishing one. As data mining and personal information harvesting have become more sophisticated, phish attack vectors have expanded to include social media, direct messaging apps, and SMS text messaging.<\/p>\n >>Related reading: <\/strong>Is eBay Safe?<\/a><\/p>\n In 2023, more than two-thirds of the world's population uses a mobile phone. That is about 5.56 billion people<\/a>. So many factors influence your day-to-day decisions, including what you click (or don\u2019t click) on your phone. Almost everyone is a potential SMS phishing victim at some point because we can\u2019t always prepare for vulnerabilities like poor technological fluency and high stress levels.<\/p>\n A few factors that make you more vulnerable to phishing include:<\/p>\n SMS phishing is clever because it uses your psychology against you. You rely on shortcuts called \u201cheuristics\u201d to help you make decisions without too much forethought, and scammers are well-practiced at exploiting these tricks. For example, people tend to defer to authority figures; they also don't want to miss out on things that are free or in high demand (colloquially known as FOMO, or fear of missing out).<\/p>\n Higher education level seems to be a protective factor against SMS phishing. But simply being aware of it and knowing to pause before acting on a strange message is hugely beneficial, too.<\/p>\n Phishers are out there, but you don\u2019t have to take their bait! Educating yourself on SMS phishing is the best thing you can do to prevent phishing from jeopardizing your safety and security.<\/p>\n So, before you open any new messages or click any unfamiliar links, pause\u00a0and give yourself a moment to scan for a few important clues.<\/p>\n Here are some examples of common smishing text messages:<\/p>\n Telltale signs of phishy texts include:<\/p>\n Allowing yourself a moment to evaluate suspicious text messages for signs of phishing\u00a0when you get a text is a great way to protect yourself from text messaging scams.<\/p>\n Here are some added layers of protection against SMS phishing:<\/p>\n If you believe you\u2019ve been SMS phished, you can (and should) report it. Phishers cast a wide net when they attempt to defraud people. If you received a smish message, it's likely that you weren't the only potential victim. Reporting it protects other smartphone users from being scammed, too.<\/p>\n A good rule of thumb with suspicious messages: if you\u2019re not confident right away that what you\u2019re looking at is a real\u00a0message or from an actual sender, presume it\u2019s a scam and react accordingly. A quick Google search should give you a verifiable email and\/or phone number to contact the institution the phisher is impersonating.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how you can report SMS phishing:<\/p>\n Smishing is basically phishing done via text messaging or SMS. Cybercriminals use a few different techniques to scam people, making them think theyre receiving legitimate texts from real sources. Because smishing is a bit of a newer scam and so many are glued to their phone, it can trick many people into disclosing their information or clicking on bad links.<\/p>\n You can spot smishing by looking out for messages with urgent asks, poor grammar, and suspicious links or URLs. Recognizing these signs can help you stay vigilant and protected against these cybercriminals.<\/p>\n A few other things you can do to safeguard your information includes enabling spam filters, reporting smishing attempts, never disclosing personal information via text, blocking unknown numbers, and using text blocking apps. Remember, awareness and caution can help you mitigate any risk of smishing.<\/p>\nWhat is Smishing (SMS Phishing)?<\/h2>\n
Who is At Risk of Getting a Smish?<\/h2>\n
\n
How To Identify Scam Text Messages<\/h2>\n
![\"Smishing](\"https:\/\/www.security.org\/app\/uploads\/2022\/02\/asset_1.png\" "\\"Smishing")
\n![\"Smishing](\"https:\/\/www.security.org\/app\/uploads\/2022\/02\/asset_2.png\" "\\"Smishing")
<\/p>\n\n
How to Avoid Text Messaging Scams<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\n
Should I Report Phishing or Smishing?<\/h2>\n
\n
Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n
References<\/h2>\n
\n