Scam library
Scam text messages (smishing): how to spot them
Why texts are the new email scam, and how to handle them.
Short answer
Smishing is phishing by text message: a short, urgent text with a link or a request, sent because people trust and act on texts faster than email.
How it works
Scam texts work for the same reasons scam emails do, with two extra advantages: phones hide the details, and we trust texts more. There's no sender address to check, links are shortened, and we read them in a hurry.
Common ones: your bank account is locked, a toll or parking fine is unpaid, a tax refund is waiting, a parcel is stuck, or a code was sent to you "by mistake" and could you send it back.
Red flags
- An urgent problem with an account, fine or refund, with a link.
- Someone asking you to send back a code you just received.
- A short, odd looking link.
What to do
Don't tap the link or reply. Check the account through its official app or website. Forward work-related scam texts to your IT provider.
This page is taken from the 2 minute NetMinder lesson staff see straight after clicking a practice email about this scam.