Happy Friday, This week The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued an alert warning US citizens of an all-time high of SMS phishing attacks. The attackers are aiming to steal personal details and money.
How bad is it?
▪Complaints regarding unwanted text messages have grown from 15,300 in 2021 to 8,500 by June 2022.▪Some independent reports estimate that billions of robotexts are being sent each month. For example, RoboKiller had estimated that consumers received over 12 billion texts in June alone.
How does this work?
Scammers use robotexts to cast lures that fool victims into giving up confidential information. For example:
▪Spoofed phishing text messages can that look ike they are coming from someone who can be trusted, such as a government agency or businesses the victim might already know.▪Claims regarding unpaid bills, package delivery issues, law enforcement actions, or bank account problems.▪Links that direct targets to landing pages that mimic bank websites and ask unsuspecting victims to verify a purchase or unfreeze credit cards.
The Takeaway
The FCC recommends that you:
▪Do not respond to texts from unknown numbers, or any others that appear suspicious.▪Never share sensitive personal or financial information by text.▪Be on the lookout for misspellings, or texts that originate with an email address▪Think twice before clicking any links in a text message. If a friend sends you a text with a suspicious link that seems out of character, call them to make sure they weren't hacked.▪If a business sends you a text that you weren't expecting, look up their number online and call them back.▪Remember that government agencies almost never initiate contact by phone or text.▪Report texting scam attempts to your wireless service provider by forwarding unwanted texts to 7726 (or "SPAM").
If you think you're the victim of a texting scam, report it immediately to your local law enforcement agency and notify your wireless service provider and financial institutions where you have accounts and to file a complaint with the FCC so that they can help shut the scammer down.
Stay safe out there
-A
