Weekly Tip! Smishing Is 50% Off!
Have you ever received text messages about special discounts or promotions for a service you use? Many legitimate organizations send promotional text messages to their customers. Unfortunately, cybercriminals are sending text messages with fake promotions to try to manipulate you.
In a recent smishing (SMS phishing) scam, cybercriminals send you a text message offering a discount that's only available for a limited time. The text message claims that the discount is for a common expense such as gas, an electricity bill, or even a car insurance policy. To claim your discount, the text message states that you need to click a link and enter sensitive information, including your bank account information. If you click the link and enter this information, cybercriminals can use it to access your bank account and steal your money.
Follow the tips below to stay safe from similar smishing scams:
- Think before you interact with a text message. Did you sign up for text messages from the organization? Is the text message similar to other text messages you’ve received from the organization?
- If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Verify any offers of discounts or promotions by contacting the organization directly.
- Never tap on a link in a text message that you aren’t expecting. Instead, open your internet browser and navigate to the organization’s official website.
The KnowBe4 Security Team
KnowBe4.com
Related Articles
Weekly Tip! Single Sign-On Smishing
Okta's single sign-on (SSO) service allows users to log in to multiple accounts by using one set of login credentials. Unfortunately, users aren't the only people who benefit from this service. Cybercriminals are taking advantage of Okta and other ...
Weekly Tip! EvilProxy and URLs
About a week ago, researchers uncovered a new "phishing-for-hire" tool called EvilProxy. The tool sends standard phishing emails to recipients, but it implements some advanced hacking techniques to dramatically increase the odds of taking over your ...
Weekly Tip! IT or Cybercriminal?
Coinbase, a cryptocurrency platform, was the latest victim of a social engineering attack. Social engineering occurs when cybercriminals manipulate you to try to steal your sensitive information. In this recent attack, a cybercriminal sent smishing ...
Weekly Tip! Zelle Fraud Alert Scams
Zelle is a popular mobile payment application that allows users to send payments to one another. Like most financial institutions, Zelle alerts users of possible fraud to stop suspicious account activity from happening. However, not all fraud alerts ...
Weekly Tip! Using Attachments
Phishers aren't really as bright as you might think - they just know how to reuse what works. One of their favorite tricks is to attach a file to an email, and trick us into opening the attachment. While it may appear to be a PDF document or a Word ...