Scam of the Week: Smishing Is All the Rage
Posted
on Wednesday, December 6, 2023
in
Privacy & Security
According to a recent report from security vendor Zimperium, you are six to ten times more likely to be tricked by SMS phishing (smishing) than traditional email phishing. Cybercriminals love these odds, so smishing has become extremely popular. It’s important to understand the significance of these attacks and how to stay safe.
This surge in smishing attacks also comes with new threats. For example, did you know that you could get malware on your mobile device? In fact, Zimperium reported a 51 percent increase in mobile malware samples in 2022. The report also states that 80 percent of malicious websites function on mobile browsers. This means that cybercriminals are specifically designing their attacks for use on mobile devices.
Follow the tips below to stay safe from smishing attacks:
- Think before you tap. Cyberattacks are designed to catch you off guard and trigger you to open links impulsively.
- Consider the origin of the text message. Did you sign up for SMS alerts? Is the message similar to other text messages you’ve received from this organization?
- Never log in to an account from a link in a text message. Instead, navigate to the organization’s official website to log in.
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