The article provides a detailed guide on smishing (SMS phishing), the common scam where attackers use deceptive text messages to trick recipients into revealing sensitive personal information or clicking malicious links. It breaks down the anatomy of a smishing scam—including impersonation, urgency, and emotional triggers—and offers an extensive list of red flags to watch for, such as unexpected requests for private data, suspicious links, and grammatical errors. Finally, it outlines how scammers obtain information and provides immediate, crucial steps to take if you fall victim to a smishing attack.
Key Takeaways
- Smishing is SMS Phishing - Smishing uses text messages to impersonate trusted entities (like banks or government agencies) to create a false sense of urgency and manipulate you into clicking a link or providing confidential information.
- Recognize the Red Flags - Be extremely wary of texts that request sensitive data (passwords, PINs), contain suspicious or shortened links (especially http instead of https), use unusual sender numbers, or feature offers that seem too good to be true.
- Do Not Click, Verify Independently - Never click a link or provide information in a suspicious text. If the message claims to be from an organization you know, contact them directly using a phone number or website you know is legitimate (e.g., from their official website or a bank statement), not the one in the text.
- Act Immediately If Targeted - If you fall victim, immediately change passwords for all accounts, contact your bank if financial information was compromised, take screenshots of the message, and report the text by forwarding it to 7726 (SPAM).
- Secure Your Accounts - Enhance your protection by enabling two-factor/multi-factor authentication (2FA/MFA) on all important accounts, being extremely cautious about the personal information you share online, and staying informed about evolving scam tactics.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key Takeaways
- Understanding Smishing
- The Anatomy of a Smishing Scam
- Smishing Red Flags to Watch For
- How Smishers Obtain Your Information
- How Technology Tries to Keep Up
Have you ever received a text message that made you raise an eyebrow? You know, the ones you read that don’t look quite right and sometimes, frankly outrageous? Welcome to the world of "smishing" – the sneaky cousin of phishing that's taking over phones.
According to the European Payments Council, over 166,000 phishing victims filed complaints between June 2016 and July 2019, resulting in losses totalling $26 billion. One innocent-looking text can cause a lot of problems. But never mind, by the end of this article, you'll be a smishing-spotting pro.
We will gift you all the knowledge you need to avoid falling for these scams. So, let’s get to it.
Understanding Smishing
Phishing is an online scam where attackers try to trick you into sharing personal information, like passwords or credit card numbers. They usually send fake emails, text messages, or links that look like they come from a trusted source.
If you click the link or give your details, the scammers can steal your info and use it to commit fraud or identity theft. Smishing, short for SMS phishing is peculiar to text messages.
Why is smishing becoming the go-to move for scammers? Well, approximately 18.7 billion texts are sent every single day. We're all glued to our phones.
Plus, many of us tend to trust text messages more than emails. But emails have better filtering mechanisms for spam while text messages often slide into our notification bar undetected.
The Anatomy of a Smishing Scam
To effectively fight smishing attempts, it's important to understand their structure and the psychological tactics used by scammers. A typical smishing message contains some key elements, each designed to manipulate you into taking a desired action :
- Sender Impersonation
The message often looks like it’s from a trusted entity, such as a financial institution, government agency, or well-known company that you may or may not usually interact with. Scammers may use spoofing attacks to display a legitimate-looking phone number or name and use that to request sensitive information from you. - Urgency or Time Pressure
Many smishing attempts create a false sense of urgency, trying to get you to act without thinking it through. Legitimate organizations rarely use extreme urgency or threats in their communications. Be careful of messages that create undue pressure. - Emotional Triggers
Scammers exploit emotions like fear, excitement, or curiosity to cloud judgment. - Call-to-Action
The message always includes a specific action the recipient should take, often involving clicking a link or providing personal information they can use to impersonate you. - Personalization
Sophisticated smishing attempts may include personal details obtained from data breaches or social engineering, lending credibility to the message.
To illustrate, take a look at this dummy smishing attempt:
"CITIZENSBANK: Your account access has been temporarily suspended. Restore access immediately: http://ctznbnk-verify.com/restore"
This message uses :
- Impersonation (CitizensBank)
- Urgency ("immediately")
- Fear (account suspension), and
- A clear call-to-action (clicking the link)
Scammers use social engineering, exploiting cognitive biases such as authority bias and scarcity bias. But when you can analyze the structure of a smishing scam properly, you develop a more critical eye when reading your incoming messages.
It's also worth noting that as public awareness of smishing grows, scammers will also change and refine their techniques. Staying informed about evolving tactics is important for maintaining vigilance.
Smishing Red Flags to Watch For
As more and more of our lives become digital, we must become even more skeptical of the messages we interact with on our devices. After examining what a common smishing scam looks like, you already know some red flags to avoid. Let’s see some more.
- Requests for Sensitive Information
Banks or other institutions never ask for sensitive data like passwords, PINs, or full credit card numbers over text messages. Any such request should be treated with extreme caution. When in doubt, ensure to check your bank’s real website or contact their support for more clarification. - Unexpected Messages from Known Organizations
If you receive an unsolicited message from an organization you deal with, consider why they might be contacting you out of the blue. If it’s a generic promotional email, you may want to confirm if any ongoing offers are true. When in doubt, crosscheck their official phone numbers from their website or your email, with the one(s) you received a potential smishing message from. - Suspicious Links or Attachments
Be cautious of shortened or unnecessarily long links that seem out of place. Hover over links (on devices that allow it) to preview the full URL before clicking. Be especially wary of links that mimic legitimate domains with slight alterations, such as "yourbank-secure.com" instead of "yourbank.com". Also, if the link doesn’t have an SSL certificate; i.e., web address starts with “http” instead of “https”, it's definitely not legit. - Grammatical Errors and Inconsistencies
While not foolproof, many smishing attempts contain grammatical errors, unusual phrasing, or inconsistent formatting. Professional organizations typically have rigorous proofreading processes for official communications. - Unusual Sender Numbers or Email-to-Text Messages
Be skeptical of messages from unknown numbers, especially those that appear to be standard mobile numbers rather than short codes typically used for business texting. Also, be cautious of email-to-text messages, which may indicate an attempt to circumvent email spam filters. - Offers That Seem Too Good to Be True
Always confirm if unsolicited offers, prizes, or deals that appear exceptionally generous are real. Scammers often use enticing offers to lower your guard. - Mismatched Sender ID and Content
Pay attention to discrepancies between the sender's name and the content of the message. For instance, a message claiming to be from your bank but sent from an unfamiliar number or email address should raise suspicion. Also, always follow the line-to-line spelling of the sender’s name and web address.
For example, if your bank name is “TRIDENTPLC”, a smishing scammer might replace an uppercase “I” with a lowercase “L” (TRlDENTPLC), which on some devices looks almost indistinguishable. Requests to Download Apps or Software
Be wary of random requests to download applications or software on your phone, especially from unverified sources. These could be vehicles for malware installation.- Use of Generic Greetings
It’s most likely that companies or institutions you’ve previously interacted with already have your details through registration. Hence, they often use your name to address you. Messages starting with "Dear Sir/Madam" or "Dear Valued Customer" may indicate a mass-sent scam attempt.
Remember, when in doubt, always exercise caution. It's safer to verify first than act on a potentially fraudulent message.
Examples of Common Smishing Scams
Smishing scams come in various forms, tailored to exploit current events or common services you use. These are some of the most common smishing scenarios you might encounter today :
- Financial Institution Impersonation - Claim to be from your bank or credit card company, citing account issues or suspicious activity. E.g., "BANKNAME Alert: Unusual login attempt detected. Verify your account now"
- Delivery Service Scams - Frequently pose as shipping companies. E.g., "Your package is held at customs. Pay a $3 fee to release”
- Government Agency Impersonation - May impersonate tax authorities, social security offices, or other government entities. E.g., "IRS Notice - You have a tax refund pending. Claim now"
- COVID-19 Related Scams - Often offer vaccines, tests, or financial relief. E.g., "You're eligible for a COVID-19 relief payment. Verify your status"
- Prize or Lottery Notifications - Promise large windfalls, often from contests you never entered for. E.g., "Congratulations! You've won $50,000 in the National Lottery. Claim your prize"
- Tech Support Scams - Often claim your device is compromised. E.g., "Apple Security Alert: Your iCloud account has been breached. Secure it now"
- Account Verification Scams - Attempt to get you to "verify" account details for various services. E.g., "Your Netflix account has been locked. Verify your payment info"
- Job Offer Scams - Are designed to exploit job seekers, offering lucrative opportunities. E.g., "Congratulations! You've been shortlisted for a remote position. Apply here: [malicious link]"
- Romance Scams - Target individuals through dating apps or social media. A message might read: "Hey, I saw your profile and felt a connection. Let's chat here: [malicious link]"
- Charity Scams - Especially prevalent after disasters. They solicit donations. E.g., "Support hurricane victims. Every dollar helps. Donate now: [malicious link]"
Remember, scammers are adaptable, and new forms of smishing show up all the time. Always stay up-to-date with trends, and if something feels off, it probably is.
How Smishers Obtain Your Information
- Data Breaches and Leaks - Large-scale data breaches often expose millions of phone numbers and associated personal information. In July, AT&T reported that cybercriminals stole phone numbers and call records of nearly 110 million customers over six months in 2022. The data was not taken directly from AT&T but from its account with data provider Snowflake.
- Public Information Sources - Smishers may compile information from publicly available sources such as social media profiles, online directories, and government records. Many people unknowingly share their phone numbers on public platforms.
Using your social media profiles, smishers can also gather contextual information to make their messages more convincing. They might reference recent purchases, travel plans, or life events you've shared online. You should share as little information as possible online. - Purchasing Contact Lists - Some unethical businesses sell customer contact information to third parties. Smishers buy these lists to get phone numbers and other data. If you aren’t comfortable dropping your details just anywhere, opt-out if you can.
- Malware and Spyware - The reason you shouldn’t click on suspicious links or download random apps. Attackers might use malware to harvest contact information from infected devices or networks.
- SIM Swapping - Posing as you (after you’ve been smished), attackers could convince a mobile carrier to transfer your phone number to a SIM card they control, gaining access to incoming messages and calls. They also gain full access to your accounts, disable your 2FA and MFA settings, and reset all your passwords.
- Website Scraping - Automated tools like bots can be used to crawl websites with inadequate protection to harvest phone numbers and email addresses. When they gain access to these details, they use it to craft more convincing scams. What to Do If You've Been Smished
If you suspect you've fallen victim to a smishing attack, you should act quickly to minimize potential damage. Follow these steps :
- Do not interact further with the suspicious message or sender
- Change passwords for all your important accounts
- If you've provided financial information, contact your bank or credit card company immediately
- Take screenshots of the suspicious messages and any websites you may have visited
- Note down the sender's phone number and any other relevant details
- Forward the suspicious text to 7726 (SPAM), a service provided by many cellular carriers to report spam messages
- Report the incident to your local law enforcement and provide them with your documentation
- If it's a spoofed company, inform the legitimate company about the impersonation attempt
- Keep a close eye on your bank statements and credit reports for any suspicious activity
- Always enable two-factor authentication for your accounts
- In case of identity theft, idtheftcenter.org offers free assistance
How Technology Tries to Keep Up
As smishing attacks become more sophisticated, technology tries to rise to the challenge. Major telecom companies now implement network-level filters to intercept and block suspicious messages before they reach users.
There are also protocols like STIR/SHAKEN (Secure Telephone Identity Revisited/Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information Using toKENs) to help verify the authenticity of caller IDs, reducing the effectiveness of number spoofing.
Additionally, end-to-end encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp provide an additional layer of security, making it more difficult for attackers to intercept or manipulate messages, among other technological advancements.
The future of anti-smishing technology likely lies in more integrated, AI-driven solutions that can adapt in real-time to new threats. However, maintaining a balance between security and user privacy will remain an ongoing challenge.
Final Thoughts
Smishing continues to be a significant threat in our increasingly digital world. The ability to identify these scams is important to keeping your personal information and financial well-being protected.