THE THIRD SCAM OF THE SEASON
PROTECT YOUR DIGITAL LIFE™
Smishing is phishing by text. Around holidays, scammers send texts about “delivery failure”, “urgent account verification”, or “gift vouchers” that direct you to malicious sites or applications which request payment or download a virus onto your devices. Cybercriminals also pose as family members claiming to have lost or broken their phone, requesting help. These are often the most believable, especially when children are away at college or travelling.
Warning signs
- Texts claiming to be from a courier when you weren’t expecting a delivery
- Links that send you to a site asking for login credentials or payment
- A text message that uses urgent language such as “your parcel is on hold; click now”
- An SMS text from a short code or unusual number that you haven’t signed up with
- Texts claiming to be family members claiming to have lost/broken their phone
How to stay safe
- Don’t tap on links in unsolicited texts; instead go to the courier app or website directly
- Enable spam filtering on your mobile device
- Delete texts from unknown senders and block the number
- Never install an app or provide credentials just because a text claims you must
- You can report the scam to the courier directly by copying and pasting the details in an email to them (without clicking on any web link in the text)