How It Works
The Ultimate Awareness For Bulk SMS Scam
SMS has been a mainstay of mobile communications since the early 90’s but scammers are getting clever with their methods to avoid detection. It’s no longer the case that you can smugly look down at those that get conned, as some SMS scams are so deceptive that it can be tough to tell the difference between real and scam. SMS phishing (or SMiShing) is the act of phishing using SMS messages. We have become accustomed to some of the more prevalent email phishing attempts, but scammers are taking advantage of the smartphones we carry with us every day in smishing and vishing attacks.
Why are scammers using smishing scams?
Scammers could have one of several motives, Hong says. They could be trying to steal a victim’s identity, to access their bank account, or to blackmail them into giving out personal or company secrets..“That’s where the money is,” Hong added. “People are getting more suspicious of emails. Companies like Google and Yahoo are getting better at detecting fake accounts and shutting them down. So the next easiest thing for [a scammer] to do is to go to mobile.”
How can you avoid smishing scams?
Hong says you should make sure to use different passwords for everything from your bank’s website and social media apps to your email account. Two-factor authentication and password managers like Dashlane and 1Password can also be useful. And in the hypothetical case outlined above, you should call you bank or credit card company directly to verify the alert, rather than clicking any links in suspicious text messages.
How to aware of SMS scam?
You have to be careful with texts, especially if you can’t be sure who sent them. They could be scams intended to steal your money or your information. Be particularly suspicious if they won’t talk to you (Madeline’s potential buyer had a text-only phone), or if they try to provoke sympathy (he claimed to be in the army and about to deploy).
Traps to look in SMS Scam
Buyer (and seller) beware
A business transaction with a total stranger is always risky. This is especially true if a party wants to conduct all business over text. Insist on talking over the phone (that’s what is was originally invented for). If you’ll be meeting in person, insist on cash (and have a friend with you). If possible meet outside of a local police station. If accepting payment online, insist on Paypal.
The bank trick
Your bank allegedly texts you with a problem that desperately needs to be solved. You’ll lose all of your money if you don’t immediately call the provided 800 number or click the link in the text. Then you have to provide all of your account information. Your account will be fixed alright, but not to your benefit.
The dumb Samaritan
I’m all for giving money to those in need, but only if the money actually goes to the needy. If you get a text asking for help on behalf of others, delete it—even if it appears to come from a legitimate charity. Then go to that legitimate charity’s website and make your donation there.
Money for nothing but not for free
Everyone dreams about acquiring a fortune, and scammers can easily use those dreams against you (so can lotteries and casinos). If a stranger’s text offers you wealth as soon as you pay a small fee or give them your bank number, just tap delete. It’s the old Nigerian Scam in 160 characters or less.
Different types SMS scams are available
Lottery SMS Scam
Phone text (SMS) messages claim that the recipient has won a substantial sum of money in an online lottery or promotion. There are no prizes and the lotteries or promotions mentioned in the messages do not exist. The messages are lures used to entice recipients into replying to scammers and sending them money and personal information.
Example :
From Google Promo (GOOGLEPROMOASIA) +1 517-826-4723Congratulation! Your mobile # won 1 MILLION USD in the GOOGLE PROMO.Send Name, Address & Winning Pin (US42W7) to [Address removed]Text back to chat OR reply “!leave” to exit
Investment SMS Scam
SMS scam where fraudsters were luring gullible investors with promise of daily returns of up to Rs 75,000 through mobile messages.There are cases where service providers has used its newly granted powers to access call data records of suspected persons, which it has got through changes made in the regulations governing the securities markets through an ordinance. Besides, many SMS service providers has also got powers to conduct search and seizure operations, among others. Many identity theft also happening using the SMS Scam to gather lots of personal information.
Example:
Theft using SMS SCAM
Adult SMS Scam
In a recent adult site scam, SMS spammers were observed hiding links in YouTube videos in order to bypass URL filters. SMS spammers are attempting to avoid URL filters by hiding links in YouTube videos. Symantec discovered this trend in a recent SMS spam campaign, which disguised the sender as a woman looking to date the message’s recipient. The message directed the user to a YouTube video, which asked them to “get verified” by visiting a link included in the video. However, this link instead led the user to an adult website. If the user signed up to the site, then their credit card would be charged with membership fees.Over the last few years, we have seen SMS spammers looking for new ways to bypass URL filters. However, the SMS message-size limitation doesn’t give much room for spammers to create complex or creative obfuscations. Along with this, if the phone doesn’t recognise the URL in the message, it does not make the link directly clickable, potentially reducing the number of visitors to the site.
For this reason, SMS spammers have relied on shortened links, free hosting services, and newly registered domains in order to hide and deliver their attacks. But SMS spam filter technology has evolved accordingly and can successfully block these threats.
Example:
SMS spammers’ new trick to hide adult spam links in text messages and make them look like legit SMS traffic.Instead of including a typical affiliate link in the messages, the attackers added the link to a YouTube video along with the following message:
“Hey there [CLASSIFIEDS WEBSITE] I’m assuming ? I’m Alexis.. heres a video [YOUTUBE VIDEO LINK] to show I’m the same girl in the pic on there”
If the user visits the link, they will be directed to a YouTube video of a woman asking the viewer to “get verified” before she agrees to meet them.If the user visits the link included in the video to “get verified,” they will instead be directed to an adult website’s registration page. The site asks for the user’s credit card number and charges their card if they go through with the registration process.
Our research leads us to believe that the spammers targeted users of a classifieds website by creating fake dating ads. Through these ads, the spammers continuously mined phone numbers and email addresses for their future campaigns. Other adult-themed scammers have used this strategy before to obtain targets.
NGO SMS scam
There are so many area’s where various kind of frauds are going on all over country and many uneducated people who do not understand the online world fall for it and loose their money. This is worst than mis-selling at times because in mis-selling you get bad returns or your money is stuck, but in these kind of frauds you lose all the money forever. So I want to share some tricks used by people to do online frauds and their modus operandi
Example:
“I got a call few months back from a NGO based in Delhi. They were trying to help a small baby, which was critical medical condition and needed immediate medical help and they were generating the money from all over India. Even there were social media campaigns around it. The girl talking to me, told me its an urgent matter and how as a citizen, my help could mean a lot to the poor child.I told her, she can mail me the details, so that I can look at what I can do from my side. After 1 hour, when I typed the NGO name and it turned out to be a big fraud campaign, which was widespread and many people reported their complaint.”
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