The FBI have issued a warning to Android and iPhone users as attacks have seen an increase by 700% in just one month.
The shocking news has urged users to be on high alert after many people have reported receiving malicious texts in recent weeks.
Now, the FBI has stepped in to warn the public about a new scam targeting Android and iPhone users.
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According to a team of researchers from Guardio, who have been tracking these attacks, it ‘spotted a 773% surge in DMV scam texts during the first week of June’.
The team continued: “These scam texts lead to phishing websites designed to steal people’s credit card information and make unauthorized charges.”
Now, the FBI has shared that cybercriminals are using fake DMV texts to seal information from your phone.
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FBI Tennessee’s Supervisory Special Agent David Palmer has warned that hackers ‘put malware on your phone, which then can go in and steal information from your device, or collect your payment information’.
Palmer went on to urge users that ‘if you don’t know who [a text] is from, don’t click the link’.
However, simply ignoring the text might not be enough as the FBI is advising people to ‘delete any smishing texts’ that they might receive.
This is so as not to leave any potentially malicious links on your device.
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As a result of this increase in scam DMV texts, Senator Tina Smith is now said to be pressuring the Trump administration to take action, with Smith saying that this is ‘beyond a simple nuisance’ and instead ‘jeopardizes the financial security of those it victimizes. And these messages threaten the peace of mind of thousands of Minnesotans who face the uncertainty of whether these messages are authentic. This scale and sophistication of this scam campaign calls for a federal response’.
A warning from Oregon DMV has also been issued, where the branch’s public information officer, Chris Crabb, said: “These messages are not from Oregon DMV, these are fake messages designed to get you to click on a link and provide personal information or send money.”
Crabb continued: “Oregon DMV will never ask you for personal information or payment through an unsolicited text, email or phone call.
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“DMV transactions should only be completed online at dmv2u.oregon.gov or in person at a DMV office.”
What to do if you receive a scam DMV text
If you think you might have received a text of this nature, the best course of action is to not engage with it by replying to it or clicking on any links.
You can report the text as a scam to your phone manufacturer and the FBI advises that you should then delete it.