Even if you won’t believe your own self will fall for scams like Smishing, you might want to think again. Smishing is like Phishing, it works on mobile devices where scammers send you text messages other than Phishing that is found on your emails. These scammers send messages to get information by impersonating companies like banks.
The scam message contains something like a very important credit notification or bank message alert and will make you call for a number just like in phishing mails that sends links to follow. Once you called for this number then you are trapped. Feeling the need to call the number given on the scam text message, you will give them a call and will tell you that their purpose is something about confirmation of your account that will make you give them your account details to confirming your identity. They will usually ask for your credit card details, social security number, or bank information. By doing so, you will end up in big trouble. And by the period you realized what happens, the scammer will take the time to duplicate your credit card and ransack thousands of dollars in minutes.
So there, awareness of these scams will be a great help for you to avoid falling to their trap. However, we enlisted here different ways on how to deal with this kind of scam and therefore protect yourself from being a victim of this fraud.
- Do not call a certain number. Do not follow what is being told in the text message. If you did call the number they provided then expect it to be a robot. This is a part of phishers fraudulent scheme, asking for your bank details or any sensitive information from you to use them without your knowledge.
- Don’t fall for the bait. Most of the times the phishers use the clause “Due to the large number of email scammers targeting our members we have placed suspension alert to all credit union account”, and then they will start asking for your information. Don’t fall for it and hang it up.
- Don’t click on the unknown link. The link will surely direct you to a malicious site asking for your confirmation or verification of bank details (most of the times), or it can be a button when clicked will automatically download a virus or a malware and infects your device.
- Never reply back. Never reply to a suspicious text without doing research and verifying the source. Verify the text message and call the authorized support representative of the text’s authenticity.
- Never give your account details or other sensitive information about you on a text message. Be aware that your bank won’t ask for your pin codes in the form of a text message. Bank can send alerts but won’t ask for pin codes on a call.
- Use anti-malware application to detect spam messages. Install an effective mobile security app on your phone. You can also click “Enabled” button for blocking a certain number if this feature is available on your mobile device.
Scammers will take advantage of your “panic attack” urging you to give all the information that they need, which will be very tricky, and once you fall for it then that is where they start to use your information to whatever purpose they want. A presence of mind, common sense and awareness is always the key to protect you from these scams.
