Smishing (SMS Scam)
Smishing
A scam that uses text messages to lure victims to fake websites and steal personal information.
In Simple Terms
Smishing is a scam that sends fake text messages to smartphones, luring victims to shady websites to steal important information. For example, you might get a fake "missed delivery" notice or a message pretending to be from your bank. Tapping the link in the message takes you to a fake login page, where victims end up entering passwords or credit card numbers that fall straight into a scammer's hands.
Behind the Name
"Smishing" blends "SMS" (Short Message Service, the technology behind text messages) with "phishing," the term for scams that trick people into handing over sensitive information. Put together, it literally means "phishing over SMS."
Take a Closer Look!
Smishing is a scam technique that uses SMS text messages on smartphones to send fake messages, lure victims to fake websites, and steal important personal information.
Simply put, it's the SMS version of phishing scams, which normally use email.
Attackers often send messages pretending to be from real companies, like delivery services reporting a missed package, or banks and mobile carriers.
The messages are written to sound urgent, with fake claims like "we brought your package back" or "there's a problem with your account" that make you want to check right away.
They then push you to tap a link included in the message.
Tapping the link opens a fake website that looks just like the real service, tricking you into entering your ID, password, or credit card information.
If you enter your information here, it falls into the scammer's hands, which can lead to unauthorized purchases or money being drained from your bank account.
Even as smartphones' built-in security features improve, this kind of scam is hard to prevent once someone enters their information themselves, so it's important to stay alert.