How to Report Smishing Scams and Stay Safe

Reporting smishing scams is a crucial step in staying safe online. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends reporting these scams to the FTC online or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP.

If you've fallen victim to a smishing scam, don't panic. The FTC suggests that you change your passwords immediately and monitor your accounts closely.

To report a smishing scam, you'll need to provide some basic information, such as the phone number or email address used to send the scam message. The FTC will use this information to track down the scammers and prevent further attacks.

By reporting smishing scams, you're helping to protect yourself and others from falling prey to these scams.

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Smishing, or SMS phishing, is a type of cybercrime where scammers send you text messages with links that ask for sensitive information.

Smishing has been around since the mid-1990s, with the first known instance being an AOL scandal.

Phishers often make enticing offers or threats to lure you into taking the bait.

In the early 2000s, scammers would pose as major companies like eBay or PayPal to solicit passwords or payment information.

Smishing has expanded to include social media, direct messaging apps, and SMS text messaging as attack vectors.

To avoid falling victim to text messaging scams, it's essential to educate yourself on the signs of phishing. One of the most common red flags is poor spelling and grammar in the message itself.

Telltale signs of phishy texts include suspicious links, which often have strange combinations of letters and numbers that don't include standard features like HTTPS:// or .com/.org/.gov. Legitimate banks, government agencies, and major corporations will never communicate with you via text message.

If you're unsure about the authenticity of a text, don't reply to it. Replying to a smish confirms your phone number is valid, and phishers can then sell your number to other scammers. Instead, report the message to your phone carrier by copying and pasting the body of the message to 7726 (S-P-A-M) so they can investigate.

To further protect yourself, consider filtering out suspicious messages on your phone. On iPhones, go to Settings > Messages > filter unknown senders, while on Androids, go to the Messaging app > tap the upper right three dots > choose settings > select spam protection.

To avoid text messaging scams, it's essential to be vigilant and take proactive steps to protect yourself. Educating yourself on SMS phishing is a great starting point.

Phishers often use poor spelling and grammar in their messages, so be wary of texts with misspelled or missing words, oddly phrased sentences, poor grammar, and weird spacing. This is a quick and easy way to identify a smish.

Legitimate banks, government agencies, and major corporations will never communicate with you via text message, so be cautious of urgent action requests. They'll never threaten punitive action if you don't click on a link now.

SMS text messages generally come from 10-digit numbers, but some marketing and political messages come from shorter shortcodes. Something from an 11-digit phone number is likely to be a scam.

Here are some added layers of protection against SMS phishing:

Be cautious of websites, emails, and phone numbers that imitate government services.

Some of these fake contacts claim to offer help with tasks that would normally be free or cheaper through official government services.

To avoid falling for these scams, search on GOV.UK to find official government services and phone numbers.

For example, if you want to apply for a driving licence, you can find the correct contact information on GOV.UK.