What is 'smishing' and how to protect your cellphone from it?
- By Web Desk -
- Dec 17, 2021
Citizens using mobile phones are no stranger to malicious, unsolicited text messages promising a BISP assistance amounting to Rs25,000 or other prizes to beguile them into sharing their personal information. Some have even ended up losing money.
If you have ever received any such message on your cellphone, you have experienced ‘smishing’, a portmanteau word that is a combination of SMS and phishing.
Smishing is an attempt to steal your data or money through a text message by tricking you into following a link or revealing personal details or login information.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in a Twitter statement today cautioned denizens against smishing attacks on their cell phones.
“What is #Smishing? This is where scammers use SMS/text messagesto trick a user into opening a malicious attachment or link,” the PTA tweeted.
Here’s how you can respond to smishing attacks:
- Be suspicious of text messages from an unknown source claiming to be a representative of a reputable organisation such as a bank or TV channel.
- Do not respond to text messages that request personal information without first independently verifying that they are from a genuine source
- Do not click on any links a text message wants you to
- Report such cellphone numbers to your service provider
What is #Smishing? This is where scammers use SMS/text messages📨 to trick a user into opening a malicious attachment or link🔗
Learn how to respond/act against such scam:#CybersecurityWeek pic.twitter.com/LSnmQeAl39
— PTA (@PTAofficialpk) December 17, 2021