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With a buzz, your phone lets you know you got a text. You take a peek. It’s from the U.S. Postal Service with a message about your package. Or is it? You might be looking at a smishing scam.
“Smishing” takes its form from two terms: SMS messaging and phishing. Effectively, smishing is a phishing attack on your phone. Scammers love these attacks year-round, and particularly so during holiday shopping rushes. The fact remains that we ship plenty of packages plenty often, and scammers use that to their advantage.
Smishing attacks try to slip into the other legitimate messages you get about shipments. The idea is that you might have a couple on the way and might mistake the smishing attack for a proper message. Scammers make them look and sound legit, posing as the U.S. Postal Service or other carriers like UPS, DHL, and FedEx.
Let’s dive into the details of this scheme and what you can do to protect yourself from SMS phishing.
To pull off these attacks, scammers send out text messages from random numbers saying that a delivery has an urgent transit issue. When a victim taps on the link in the text, it takes them to a form page that asks them to fill in their personal and financial info to “verify their purchase delivery.” With the form completed, the scammer can then exploit that info for financial gain.
However, scammers also use this phishing scheme to infect people’s devices with malware. For example, some users received links claiming to provide access to a supposed postal shipment. Instead, they were led to a domain that did nothing but infect their browser or phone with malware. Regardless of what route the hacker takes, these scams leave the user in a situation that compromises their smartphone and personal data.
While delivery alerts are a convenient way to track packages, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the signs of smishing scams. Doing so will help you safeguard your online security without sacrificing the convenience of your smartphone. To do just that, take these straightforward steps.
Go directly to the source.
Be skeptical of text messages from companies with peculiar requests or info that seems too good to be true. Be even more skeptical if the link looks different from what you’d expect from that sender — like a shortened link or a kit-bashed name like “fed-ex-delivery dot-com.” Instead of clicking on a link within the text, it’s best to go straight to the organization’s website to check on your delivery status or contact customer service.
Enable the feature on your mobile device that blocks certain texts.
Many spammers send texts from an internet service to hide their identities. You can combat this by using the feature on your mobile device that blocks texts sent from the internet or unknown users. For example, you can disable all potential spam messages from the Messages app on an Android device. Head to “Settings,” tap on “Spam protection,” and then enable it. On iPhones, head to “Settings” > “Messages” and flip the switch next to “Filter Unknown Senders.”
One caveat, though. This can block legitimate messages just as easily. Say you’re getting your car serviced. If you don’t have the shop’s number stored on your phone, their updates on your repair progress will get blocked as well.
Block smishing texts with AI.
Our new AI-powered Text Scam Detector puts up a great defense. It automatically detects scams by scanning URLs in your text messages. If you accidentally tap? Don’t worry, it can block risky sites if you tap on a suspicious link in texts, emails, social media, and more.
Protect your privacy and identity all around.
While McAfee+ plans include Scam Protection, our plans offer strong protection for your identity, privacy, and finances. All the things those smishers are after. It includes credit and identity monitoring, social privacy management, and a VPN, plus several transaction monitoring features. Together, they spot scams and give you the tools to stop them dead in their tracks.
And if the unfortunate happens, our Identity Theft Coverage & Restoration can get you on the path to recovery. It offers up to $2 million in coverage for legal fees, travel, and funds lost because of identity theft. Further, a licensed recovery pro can do the work for you, taking the necessary steps to repair your identity and credit.
The post How Not to Fall for Smishing Scams appeared first on McAfee Blog.
With the advent of technology and the widespread use of mobile phones, scam calls and texts have become increasingly common. These annoying and invasive attempts to trick you out of your personal information can be frightening and frustrating. They often come in the form of ‘vishing‘ and ‘smishing‘ attacks. But what exactly are these types of scams, and how can you protect yourself against them?
Vishing and smishing are two common methods used by scammers to steal personal information. Vishing, a combination of ‘voice’ and ‘phishing,’ typically involves a scammer calling you and pretending to be from a trusted organization, such as your bank. They may tell you that there has been unusual activity on your account and ask for your personal information to ‘resolve’ the issue.
Smishing, on the other hand, combines ‘SMS’ (text) and ‘phishing.’ In this type of scam, you may receive a text message stating that you have won a prize, or that there is a problem with your account. The message will instruct you to click on a link, which will then try and trick you into providing personal information.
The main strategy of scammers behind vishing and smishing attacks is volume. They send out calls and messages to a large number of phones, hoping that at least a few will fall for the scam. There are several ways these scammers can get bulk phone numbers for their attacks:
Data breaches are a common way for scammers to obtain phone numbers, along with names and email addresses. This information can give them everything they need to launch effective vishing and smishing attacks. While some breaches result in the loss of credit card or government ID numbers, others simply provide basic personal information that can be enough to make their scams seem legitimate.
Another method scammers use to get phone numbers is by purchasing lists from data brokers. These online entities collect and sell detailed information about millions of individuals, including their phone numbers. These lists can be bought for a few dollars with just a few clicks. The data brokers don’t care who they sell to, so even scammers can easily purchase these lists.
→ Dig Deeper: How Data Brokers Sell Your Identity
Scammers often scour social media platforms and online forums to gather personal information, including phone numbers. People sometimes inadvertently share their contact details or other personal information in public posts, comments, or private messages. Scammers exploit these details to build their contact lists.
Scammers may also access publicly available records and directories, such as online phone directories, business listings, or government databases. These sources can provide them with a substantial amount of phone numbers and associated information.
Some scammers use phishing emails or fraudulent online surveys to trick individuals into disclosing their personal information, which can include phone numbers. They may pose as legitimate organizations or institutions, enticing recipients to provide their contact information in the process.
You may have already seen smishing attacks without realizing what they were. Here are a few examples of common smishing scams:
One feature that these messages have in common is that they all include a link. These links often have unusual character strings and web addresses that do not match the supposed sender of the message. This is a clear indication that the message is a scam.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect yourself against these types of scams. Here are a few tips:
Scammers have tools at their disposal that can tamper with caller ID, making it appear as though the call is coming from a trusted organization. Do not rely solely on caller ID to determine the legitimacy of a call or text.
→ Dig Deeper: Be on the Lookout for Scam Tech Support Calls
If you receive a call or text message that seems suspicious, do not provide any personal information. Instead, hang up or ignore the text and contact the organization directly to verify the request.
If you believe you have been the target of a vishing or smishing attack, document the incident and report it to the company it was supposedly from. Many organizations have dedicated fraud reporting tools for this purpose.
As a general rule, avoid clicking on links in text messages, especially if they look suspicious or you do not recognize the sender. If you have concerns, always contact the organization directly.
→ Dig Deeper: The Latest Mobile Scams & How To Stay Safe
There are a number of strategies that you can employ to combat these types of scams. One of the most effective ways is to install comprehensive online protection software like McAfee+ on your phone. This software offers features such as web protection that warns you of suspicious links in texts, search results, and websites you browse. If your personal information appears on the dark web, the software can alert you and provide guidance on how to proceed. It can also help you remove your personal information from data broker sites, reducing your exposure to data breaches and spam calls.
Another strategy is to educate yourself on the telltale signs of a scam call or text. For instance, scammers often use scare tactics or threats to manipulate you into giving up your personal information. If you receive a message that seems to play on your emotions or tries to rush you into action, it’s probably a scam. Legitimate businesses and organizations will not typically resort to such tactics. If in doubt, always contact the organization directly to verify the validity of the message.
Internet service providers and mobile carriers have a crucial role to play in combating vishing and smishing attacks. By implementing advanced security measures, they can help protect their customers from these types of scams. For example, many carriers now offer features such as scam call blocking and identification. These features can help you identify potentially fraudulent calls and texts and avoid falling victim to these scams.
ISPs and mobile carriers can also educate their customers about the risks of vishing and smishing. By providing clear, easy-to-understand information about these scams and how to avoid them, they can empower their customers to protect themselves. As these types of attacks become more sophisticated, the role of ISPs and mobile carriers in combating them will only become more important.
McAfee Pro Tip: Regardless of the nature of these unwelcome calls, there are proactive measures you can take to safeguard yourself and even prevent them from reaching you in the initial instance. Know how to beat and block robocalls.
In conclusion, vishing and smishing are increasingly common types of scams that target individuals through phone calls and text messages. These scams can be frightening and invasive, but by understanding how they work and implementing strategies to protect yourself, you can significantly reduce your risk of being a victim. Comprehensive online protection software, being vigilant to the signs of a scam, and leveraging features offered by your ISP or mobile carrier are all effective ways to combat these scams. Remember, if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t – always contact the organization directly if you’re unsure about a call or text.
The post Those Annoying Scam Calls and Texts: How to Fight Back Against Vishing and Smishing appeared first on McAfee Blog.
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