smishing

  • Christmas delivery scam texts surge prompts consumer warning

    Consumers need to be very sceptical of mobile messages that come from unknown sources, says UK Finance, a banking industry body.

  • WhatsApp launches scam awareness campaign

    A message from a 'friend in need' asking for money or personal information could be the first sign of a scam, the campaign warned.

  • Scam texts: UK 'smishing' reports rise 700% in six months

    Two of the top three most commonly reported SMS scams to the Which? Scam Sharer tool have been fake text messages from delivery companies.

  • Now I Get It: What are smishing scams?

    You may have heard of phishing emails, which are meant to lure users to surrender personal or financial information by claiming to be from the government, a bank or some other reputable company. The ultimate goal for scammers is to steal someone’s identity, so many cybercriminals are moving to a new form of technology and trying to scam people through SMS text messaging, a method called smishing. Here are what smishing scams can look like and some tips for your self-defense.

  • Spot the Scam: Smishing Scams

    We send a lot of text messages, but so do scammers. Anyone with a smartphone can be a victim. You think you’re resetting you password, but you’ve given them your account information.

  • “Smishing” Self-Defense: How to Prevent Trouble That Comes in Text Messages

    Each day about 20 billion text messages are sent to two billion smartphone users worldwide. The massive number of text messages and their rapid-fire response rate (by comparison, only one in four email messages are opened within 10 minutes of arrival) amount to an unbridled opportunity for fraudsters exploiting the du jour device for deception: the handheld computer that also happens to make phone calls, which many of us carry or have nearby 24/7. Called smishing (named after short messaging service technology that sends text messages), it’s an attempt to trick you into revealing private information via SMS or text message.

  • Phony $1,000 Target Gift Card is the Scam of the Year

    A fake contest for a $1,000 Target (TGT) gift card has been declared 2012's "Scam of the Year" by online complaint resolution platform Scambook. The fraud, which Scambook spotted back in November, actually spread via text rather

  • Android 'smishing' vulnerability discovered by NCSU researchers; Google has a fix incoming

    The art of smishing (SMS-Phishing) has been practiced for some time, but a discovery by the wizards at NC State University has uncovered a new vulnerability that could bring the aforesaid act back into the spotlight. Xuxian Jiang's research team recently identified the hole and confirmed that it impacts Gingerbread, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean. Put simply, if an Android user downloads an infected app, the attacking program can "make it appear that the user has received an SMS, or text, message from someone on the phone's contact list or from trusted banks." This fake message can solicit personal information, such as passwords for user accounts. The team isn't going to disclose proof until Google patches it up, but the school has said that Google will be addressing it "in a future Android release." For now, however, Jiang recommends additional caution when downloading and installing apps from unknown sources, while also suggesting that folks pay close attention to received SMS text messages.

  • Smishing Scams: Sorry, You Did Not Win a $1,000 Target Gift Card

    Cyberspace is chock-full of scammers trying to steal our money and even our identities. Most of us know how to avoid the common scam come-ons, but there are always new ones popping up. One of the latest dangers is called "smishing."

  • Text message about bank account problem is a scam, Delaware AG says

    Don't believe a cell phone text message saying there's a problem with your bank account, said the Delaware Attorney General's office in a consumer alert. The state's Consumer Protection Unit issued the alert recently on what it

  • Top 10 scams in 2010 you might get taken by

    Scammer ingenuity knows no bounds. In 2010, as in years past, more criminals are taking the trouble to craft schemes, fudge websites, and get rich off the tight economy and the consumer desperation that goes along with it. But while it may be