What are ‘smishing’ texts that FBI is warning phone users against?
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has also cautioned against these scams which could result in financial losses
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sent a nationwide alert in the United States on Wednesday, warning smartphone users against “smishing texts,” a new sophisticated scam that aims to steal their personal and financial information.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has also cautioned against these scams, stating, “Not only is the scammer trying to steal your money, but if you click the link, they could get your info and even steal your identity.”
How does smishing unfold?
Over 10,000 domains have been reportedly registered by cybercriminals to implement this scam, through which links are sent which warn users against an overdue payment or entice them with exciting offers, reported the New York Post.
Targets are sent a text message demanding an urgent payment for an allegedly unpaid bill. The message also warns them against penalties if they do not make an urgent payment through a text message containing a link.
A smishing text reported by The Fayetteville Observer reads as follows-
"The Toll Roads Notice of Toll Evasion: You have an unpaid toll bill on your account. To avoid late fees, pay within 12 hours or the late fees will be increased and reported to the DMV.
https://ncquickpass.scgsuihp.vip/pay
(Please reply Y, then exit the text message and open it again to activate the link, or copy the link to your Safari browser and open it)
The Toll Roads team wishes you a great day!"
The iMessage on Apple's iOS can filter links that are suspected to be from scammers. Thus the text encourages users to copy the URL and paste them manually in a browser to make the payment.
Once a user enters the link, either through the text message or manually through a browser, the FTC said that scammers steal their financial details like credit card, debit card and bank account credentials.
The FBI has urged users to delete smishing texts immediately. Users receiving such messages were also requested to file a complaint with the IC3 online at www.ic3.gov.
