How SMiShing Works
SMiShing scams often direct you to visit a website or call a phone number. If you dial the number, you’ll be asked for sensitive information like a credit card number. If you visit the website, it may attempt to infect your computer with malware.
Scammers continually get more and more creative. Most consumers are savvy enough not to fall for the old "we need your bank account password" email. However, a text message seems less threatening.
Instead of just trying to get money from you, like they do in cashier's check scams, SMiShing schemes often just try to get information such as credit card numbers. Then they use or sell the information later.
The Term SMiShing
Why the funny spelling and capitalization in SMiShing? The term combines "SMS" and "phishing".
What You Need to Know About SMiShing
If you get a suspicious message, don't fall for it. Call a bank from a phone number the you trust - one that you get from your statement or from the bank's website, for example. If you get a message about some "service" you've been signed up for and will have to cancel, search the web for other reports of the message.
Other Creative Phishing Scams
