Text phishing, or “smishing,” is a sneaky tactic used by cybercriminals to trick you into revealing personal information or clicking malicious links via text messages. To protect yourself from falling victim to these scams, here’s how to spot them:
- Sender’s Number: Be wary of texts from unknown or suspicious-looking numbers. Legitimate organizations often use recognizable numbers.
- Urgent Language: Phishers create a sense of urgency. If a message pressures you to act quickly or threatens dire consequences, it’s likely a scam.
- Generic Greetings: Scammers often use generic salutations like “Dear customer” instead of addressing you by name.
- Links and Attachments: Never click on links or download attachments from unsolicited texts. They may lead to fake websites or malware.
- Grammar and Spelling: Phishing texts often contain typos, grammatical errors, or awkward language.
- Request for Personal Information: Legitimate organizations won’t ask for sensitive data via text. If a message requests this, it’s a red flag.
- Verify Before You Act: If in doubt, contact the organization directly using official contact information rather than responding to the text.
By staying vigilant and following these guidelines, you can avoid falling victim to text phishing scams and protect your personal information from falling into the wrong hands.
Examples of Phishing Text Messages

