What is smishing? The importance will be explained as SMS scams increase

Reports of smishing scams are increasing.

That comes after what? said last September that figures from Proofpoint show reports of smishing in the UK up nearly 700% in the first six months of 2021 compared to the second half of 2020.

But what is smishing and what are the signs of scams to look out for?

Here’s what you need to know.

Phishing is the deceptive practice of sending emails pretending to be from legitimate companies in order to trick people into giving up personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.

“Smishing” is SMS phishing scams, which are instead texts often pretending to come from banks, delivery companies, and phone networks.

The? These figures from Proofpoint show that reports of smishing in the UK increased by almost 700% in the first six months of 2021 compared to the second half of 2020.

This has been pushed by scammers looking to take advantage of Covid pandemic related shopping trends e.g. For example, people are getting more home deliveries and the increase in businesses texting customers.

The numbers suggest that the ratio of packet smishing attacks to bank smishing attacks is three to one.

Voicemail smishing, in which scammers send a text pretending to have a link to a voicemail, is a newer technique.

Scammers can trick people into giving up their personal, bank, and account information, often by posing as a mobile operator and offering upgrades.

Reports have also been received of criminals using other methods of communication, such as B. Social media platforms, to impersonate a mobile phone company.

The consumer group also suggests that businesses should avoid hyperlinks whenever possible and should not provide telephone numbers.