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Smishing: What Is It and How Can You Protect Yourself?
Cold calls, emails, social media, and fake websites are a few common mediums scammers use to try and steal information. But they’re always looking for creative methods that their targets won’t expect. One of these methods is “smishing.”
Smishing is essentially the text message version of phishing. Phishing is when scammers send emails acting as reputable companies to request a person's sensitive information, such as passwords, account numbers, credit card information, etc. While you can usually spot a phishing email by the looks of the return email address or the roughly photoshopped content, identifying “smishing” can be a little more difficult—but just as important.
Here are a few of the different types of smishing texts you may receive, how to spot them, and what to do (or not do) to protect yourself from this scam:
- Free Prizes - One of the most common phishing—and now smishing—practices is to lure people in with the promise of a prize. The text often comes from an unknown number and asks you to click a link to claim your prize, such as a gift card, cash, or free product. To avoid this scam, it's important to avoid clicking text message links that look even the least suspicious.
- Tracking Information - Another way smishers try to get people to click an unsafe link is by claiming it provides tracking information or information on a package pending delivery.
- Credit Card Offers - Scammers may also entice you via text with a credit card offer that seems too good to be true, such as offers that include 0% interest or big cash bonuses upon sign-up. When filling out any credit card application, your Social Security number is a common field. However, providing this information to a scammer could result in identity theft.
- A Friend of a Friend - Sending a friendly message is another tactic scammers use to attempt to secure your information. For instance, they may claim your friend “Ben,” “Emily,” or another common name gave them your number. Then, they'll follow up with an invite to an event or the like and include a link for more info.
No one is immune to receiving smishing text messages, but you can avoid falling prey to the scam. Here are a few ways to protect your phone and personal information:
- Know the difference between smishing and marketing.
- Block messages
- Install security software
If you think you may have already been a victim of one of these smishing tactics, keeping a close eye on your financial accounts and credit reports is essential. This way, if you find anything that looks suspicious, you can take the necessary steps to report it immediately.
For more information on how to avoid Smishing, access the full article here.
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