Smishing is phishing using SMS (short message service). Cybercriminals use text messages to trick victims into divulging personal information or installing malware on their devices.
These texts often contain links that redirect victims to fake websites with spyware that can record their typing and install malicious software on their devices. When a text looks suspicious, never click its link and delete it immediately.
Authenticity of the Message
Many people are familiar with phishing attacks, where cybercriminals try to trick victims into giving away their private information by pretending to be a trusted organization. But phishing attacks aren’t the only way criminals can steal your data. Criminals also employ SMS/text messages, known as smishing, to gain information through social engineering tactics.
Smishing is especially effective because hackers know users trust text messages more than emails. Moreover, sending smishing attacks through your phone is easy, which you often use to access your online accounts and interact with your business.
Criminals can pose as any number of organizations you may trust, including banks, credit card companies, retailers, and even law enforcement agencies. They can create a sense of urgency to get you to take immediate action, such as making a payment or revealing personal information.
These messages often include links that direct you to a fake website with a malicious script, which can record your keystrokes, install spyware on your device, or even steal your money. Never click on links or respond to any text messages from numbers you don’t recognize.
Additionally, you should ignore any messages requesting your financial or personal information. The simplest way to avoid these texts is by using a VPN for your mobile devices, which can prevent hackers from receiving any of your data.
Urgency of the Message
Most people know phishing scams, which aim to deceive victims into disclosing their personal information by posing as a reputable business or institution. However, cybercriminals can also target individuals through their smartphones through text messages (called smishing) and voicemail calls (called vishing).
Because of a text message’s open rate and brief nature, it’s easier for attackers to deliver smishing attacks to victims. At the same time, they are distracted by other activities on their devices. Additionally, attackers can use a VPN app to spoof their location and make the attack appear more local, making it less likely to raise suspicions from potential targets.
The most common smishing attacks are those that target financial services. Attackers posing as customer support for PayPal, Apple Pay, or banks effectively induce fear and convince victims to provide their credentials through a link to a malicious website that tries to steal their information.
However, smishing attacks can target any company a victim might trust, including online retailers and delivery services. These smishing attacks may require victims to click a link to verify their accounts, or they may only ask for updates on delivery status or proof that a purchase was made. Regardless, any urgent personal or confidential information request should trigger alarm bells. The most accessible approach to prevent these smishing scams is never clicking on links in text messages and always confirming requests using another form of communication.
Authenticity of the Number
Most people are familiar with phishing scams, in which criminals try to steal your personal information by pretending to be a legitimate company. But did you know that scammers can also attack you through text messages? These messages are known as smishing, and they can have devastating consequences.
A smishing message usually asks you to click on a link that will take you to a malicious website that records sensitive information. These messages are frequently received using spoof numbers, which are challenging to identify because they frequently mimic typical 10-digit mobile phone numbers. In addition, attackers may use services like email-to-text to mask their true identity further.
Suspicious links, such as misspelled words or strange punctuation, often accompany these smishing messages. The message may also be accompanied by a sense of urgency that suggests you must act quickly. Scammers hope this sense of urgency will convince you to abandon common sense.
Smishing attacks can come from any company you might trust, including online retailers and your local post office or delivery service. Typically, the attacker will pose as someone who needs to confirm your details or provide additional verification for an appointment or purchase. That is why it’s so important to always check the authenticity of the number before clicking on a link or submitting any information. Remember, reputable organizations will never request sensitive information such as passwords or account numbers through SMS.
Authenticity of the Link
When smishing is delivered via text message (short messaging service or SMS) on mobile phones and popular messaging apps, it can be hard to tell the difference between legitimate and illegitimate messages. Attackers can spoof their numbers or use hacked or compromised accounts on messaging platforms to disguise themselves. To appear as though a reputable source, such as a financial institution or local police agency, is delivering the message, they can even fake the sender’s name using caller ID.
In some cases, attackers can impersonate a delivery service like UPS, FedEx, or the U.S. Postal Service, which can appeal to many targets because they are familiar with these companies. They may send a text that claims the target’s package has been delayed, rerouted, or needs confirmation, along with a link. Providing the requested information can be devastating because cybercriminals can steal login credentials, passwords, and address and credit card information stored on a victim’s device or online accounts.
Smishing is particularly dangerous for businesses because attackers can compromise a business’s email servers, bank accounts, or other sensitive systems. Preparing employees for these attacks through education and smishing simulations can help prevent them from being fooled into revealing company-sensitive information or clicking malicious links that can be used to launch other types of malicious attacks.
