Security News > 2022 > July > US govt warns Americans of escalating SMS phishing attacks
The Federal Communications Commission warned Americans of an increasing wave of SMS phishing attacks attempting to steal their personal information and money.
"The FCC tracks consumer complaints - rather than call or text volume - and complaints about unwanted text messages have risen steadily in recent years from approximately 5,700 in 2019, 14,000 in 2020, 15,300 in 2021, to 8,500 through June 30, 2022," the US communications watchdog's Robocall Response Team said [PDF].
Some of the most devious and convincing lures used in text message phishing attacks are links redirecting the targets to landing pages impersonating bank websites and asking them to verify a purchase or unlock frozen credit cards.
Phishing text messages can also be spoofed to make it appear that the sends is someone you're more likely to trust, such as a government agency like the IRS or companies you may be familiar with.
Report texting scam attempts to your wireless service provider by forwarding unwanted texts to 7726.
File a complaint with the FCC. "If you think you're the victim of a texting scam, report it immediately to your local law enforcement agency and notify your wireless service provider and financial institutions where you have accounts," the FCC added.
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