What is smishing and how to avoid the dangers?

In the digital age, when the use of smartphones and online services is increasing rapidly, it is essential to be informed about risks these technologies bring. One of these risks is smishing, a form of cyber-attack that aims to steal your sensitive information using SMS or mobile short messages.

What is smishing?

Smishing (SMS phishing) is a fraud method through which attackers send you a fake message via SMS, pretending to be a trusted institution, such as your bank, a well-known company. The purpose of these messages is to get you to click on a dangerous link or share sensitive information, such as credit card details, passwords or other personal data.

How smishing works?

Smishing messages are usually presented as urgent, claiming that there is a problem with your bank account, a payment that hasn't gone through, or a reward that you need to receive immediately. These scammers seek to incite a sense of fear or urgency to get you to act without thinking, by clicking on a dangerous link or calling a number that looks legitimate.

For example, you may receive a message that says, "Urgent! Your bank account will be blocked due to suspicious activity. Click here to verify your information!"
If you click on this link or share your information, you risk attackers gaining access to your personal and financial information.

How to recognize a smishing message?

• To avoid falling prey to a smishing attack, the following tips can help you spot dangerous messages:
  
• Unexpected messages: If you receive an SMS from the bank or another entity that you did not expect, be careful. Banks usually do not send urgent requests via SMS.
• Suspicious links: Look carefully at the links sent to you. Scammers use URLs similar to real ones to trick you. Always access the bank's website through the correct address or official application and not through links sent via SMS.
• Sense of urgency: If the message requires immediate action and creates a sense of fear or urgency, such as "Urgent", "Act now", or "Account will be closed", you should be careful.
• Request for personal information: Your bank will never ask for personal details or bank details via SMS. If you receive such a request, it is a clear sign that the message is a scam.

What should you do if you receive a suspicious SMS?

If you receive a message that you think may be smishing, here are some steps you can take to protect yourself:

• Do not click on the link: Never click on links sent through suspicious messages.
• Verify with your bank: If you receive a message that appears to be from your bank, contact the bank directly through its official number or visit the nearest branch to verify that the message is legitimate.
• Report the message: Many banks, including ours, have a department dedicated to security and protecting customers from cyber-attacks. If you receive a suspicious message, immediately report it to us through our official channels.
• Delete the message: After verifying that the message is a scam, delete it to avoid clicking the link in the future.