The government is warning people about a new type of scam called "smishing," in which criminals send text messages that appear to be from legitimate businesses or organizations in order to steal money or personal information.
Smishing is a portmanteau of "SMS" and "phishing." Like phishing, it involves sending fraudulent messages to trick people into giving up personal information or clicking on malicious links. However, smishing messages are sent via SMS text messages, rather than email.
Smishing messages often appear to be from banks, credit card companies, or other financial institutions. They may say that there is a problem with the recipient's account, and they may ask the recipient to click on a link or call a number to fix the problem.
If the recipient clicks on the link or calls the number, they will be taken to a fake website or directed to speak with a scammer who will try to steal their personal information or money.
The government is warning people to be on the lookout for smishing messages and to never click on links or call numbers in them. They are also advising people to never give out personal information over the phone or through text messages.
Here are some tips to help you avoid smishing scams:
- Be suspicious of any text message that asks for personal information or asks you to click on a link.
- Do not click on links in text messages, even if they appear to be from a legitimate source.
- Do not call numbers in text messages, even if they appear to be from a legitimate source.
- If you are unsure about a text message, contact the company or organization that it appears to be from directly.
- Be careful about what information you share online. Only share personal information with websites and apps that you trust.
By following these tips, you can help protect yourself from smishing scams.
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