My partner received the smishing attempt below last week. The landing page says the package will be returned to the sender if you don’t pay to create a sense of urgency. The message appears to be from a postal service informing you that you have to pay additional shipping costs on a package or verify your address. One of the most common smishing attempts of late is the postage scam. Number Six: Suspect It’s Real? Contact the Company Directly You also see incorrect capitalization, missing punctuation, and a URL that was incorrectly pasted mid-sentence.įor example, they might know your address, which smartphone you use, or your social media handles. This might be as simple as a misplaced word, improper capitalization, or a sentence that just seems “off.” Check out the double-space error in the message below. As a result, many scammers make spelling or grammar mistakes that should be relatively easy for a native speaker to spot. RELATED: Watch Out: This Verizon Smishing Scam Is Crazy Realistic Number Four: Pay Attention to the GrammarĪ large percentage of smishing attempts originate in countries where English is not the official (or first) language. Sometimes, the whole website functions as it normally would, including the “About Us” links and other unrelated content. It’s surprisingly easy to create a carbon copy of a website simply by downloading the page and uploading it elsewhere. However, some scammers go to great lengths to make their URLs look convincing, too. The URL in the highlighted address bar doesn’t match that of the official Australia Post website, which means it’s a scam. Take a look at the example below from the Australia Post scam. Don’t fall for it!Ī glance at the address bar should confirm any suspicions. Suppose you accidentally tap a link without giving it much thought, and you see a very official-looking website. Some scammers are adept at producing websites that appear identical to the companies they’re trying to imitate. RELATED: What is Typosquatting and How Do Scammers Use it? Number Three: Don’t Fall for a Convincing Website If the address bar in your browser bounces you from one website to another in quick succession, that’s a good sign you’re being hit with a scam. If you do happen to tap a link, you might be redirected (often multiple times) to a different website. While this was the first (and, as of this writing, only) exploit of its kind, it’s a reminder that you should never trust a random link. In August 2019, people who own iPhones were exposed to malware simply by visiting a URL in Safari due to a zero-day exploit.

To be safe, avoid tapping links in unsolicited text messages. Some of these scams are designed to spread malware, and, sometimes, all that requires a tap (or click) on a link. However, even if it does, you have no way of knowing whether it’s safe or not. Most text message scams include a link, and, usually, the URL doesn’t match the company name.

Number Two: Don’t Tap Links in Suspicious Messages While there is evidence of mobile carriers using spam filtering techniques similar to those of email providers, many smishing attempts slip through the net.Īlways remember the golden rule: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Sending text messages en masse from a web interface is cheap and easy to do. This opportunity hasn’t gone unnoticed by scammers. Also, URL shorteners are common in text messages due to the 160-character limit. Text messages are short, which leaves little room for obvious spelling or grammar mistakes. He also has to hope a spam filter doesn’t catch the email.īecause SMS is such a basic form of communication, fraudulent messages are a lot harder to spot. The scammer has to be mindful of branding and tone and make sure the email is error-free. PKbugf5ZGhĬrafting a phishing email that doesn’t immediately raise suspicion requires some skill. Seems legit! What do you think ⁦ ?😂 man I can’t believe #Smishing makes a profit. Normally, the message invites you to verify your account details, make a payment, or claim a prize. The scammer sends a text message with a link to potential victims. “Smishing” (a portmanteau of SMS and phishing) works almost identically.

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