Travelers are being warned about the dangerous 'smishing' scam that could compromise your personal information.
You’ve probably heard of 'phishing' scams, which is where someone will try to con you using fake emails with links.
The aim of these messages are to get you to click the link and fill out personal information.
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They might pose as urgent warnings of 'penalties' or 'fines', sometimes even claiming to be authorities such as the police or local government.
This can scare people into complying, clicking the link and offering up their personal information.
Once the link has been pressed, con artists could gain access to data for things like your bank accounts and other data.
Now, people who are traveling through certain US states are being made aware of a new scam that is targeting their victims through text message.
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It’s become known as a 'smishing' message and uses the same template as the 'phishing' emails, with the 'sm' being in reference to an SMS message.
One particular example of this scam involves conning people who are traveling into thinking that they owe money for a 'toll service'.
The FBI released a public service announcement where they shared this example of the scam text.
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In the message, it reads: “We've noticed an outstanding toll amount of $12.51 on your record. To avoid a late fee of $50.00, visit [fraudulent web address] to settle your balance.”
The message is a classic of the psychological tactics employed by smishing and phishing scams.
This can often include posing as an authority figure and creating a sense of urgency by warning of further penalties if you don't react.
Other tactics could be posing as delivery services, a 'honeytrap', or in some cases even as someone’s child saying that they've 'lost their phone'.
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Given that we are reliant on the smartphone for huge parts of our lives, it also makes sense to target them as they are filled with valuable data about us.
Fortunately there are some measures you can take to protect yourself, with one being that if you’re not expecting a text message about something, for example a delivery, then it’s a scam.
You should also never click links in strange messages, and delete any suspicious messages.
It’s also a good idea to keep whatever operating system you use up-to-date, and use multi-factor identification on particularly sensitive things such as banks, health records, or social media accounts.