Scams spread via text messages accounted for $330 million in reported US consumer losses last year, According to the Federal Trade Commission report Released Thursday.
The FTC says that’s more than double the previous year’s losses and represents a fivefold increase since 2019. It added that reports of text fraud began to spike within the first six months of the year. COVID-19 pandemic They have not returned to their previous levels since then.
Cybersecurity researchers say they have, too I’ve noticed a rise in these types of scams. Called phishing, which is a contraction of SMS and phishing, some texts are clearly spam. They tout the obvious taste as energy-boosting supplements, cash prizes from major retailers or CBD candy in new flavors. Some are more subtle, masquerading as COVID test results, shipping notices or alerts for online payments not made. Either way, it’s dangerous.
the The vast majority of phishing attacks Attempts to extract personal data from unsuspecting consumers still come through e-mail. However, cybercriminals are increasingly preying on distracted consumers who are rarely without them smart phones To get people out of their logins and passwords, credit card or other financial information, or even gain access to their corporate networks.
As part of its study of 2022 reports, the FTC also analyzed a random sample of 1,000 fraudulent text messages and found that many of them attempted to impersonate well-known companies.
Specifically, the most common type of scam texts were those that looked like scam alerts from well-known banks. The texts create a sense of urgency, telling the recipient that they need to verify a large transaction by clicking on a small embedded link. Those who respond are associated with fake bank workers.
The FTC said the use of fake bank texts has jumped twenty-fold since 2019.
Other text scams reported to the FTC include messages purporting to offer a free gift, often from a wireless phone company or retailer, messages pretending to be from UPS or FedEx saying there is a problem with package delivery, along with job offers Fake and fake. Amazon Security Alerts.
Tips on avoiding scam SMS
Be on the lookout for suspicious messages. Do not click on links within suspicious text or otherwise engage the sender. Instead, report the message by forwarding it to 7726 (SPAM). If you think the link might be legitimate, go directly to the company’s website instead of clicking on the embedded link.
Don’t mess with scammers. Some people like to mess with the people behind the scams by texting them and leading them on. This is a very bad idea. If nothing else, it lets the scammer know that you’re a real person. But don’t worry if you open a scam message on your phone. Unless you click on a link or download an attachment, you are not in danger of being hacked.
Think before you hand over your number. Retailers and other businesses love to collect them, but do they really need yours? Like your email addresses, if your phone number is in a hacked company’s database, it could potentially end up being sold to cybercriminals for use in these types of attacks. Just like the rest of your personal information, the less people have it, the better.
Keep your private information private. Never provide personal or financial information in response to an SMS request.
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