Smishing Scams: How to Spot Fraudulent Text Messages and Protect Yourself

Text-message phishing is fast, convincing, and costly. Here are the red flags to watch for, safe ways to respond, and what to do if you clicked

Smishing is phishing by text. Criminals impersonate banks, delivery services, mobile carriers, government agencies, and even friends to trick you into tapping a link, calling a fake support line, or sharing a one time code. The goal is the same as email phishing, but the success rate is higher because texts feel urgent and personal. A single tap can install malware, intercept your messages, or send you to a convincing look alike site that steals passwords and card numbers. The good news is that most smishing messages share predictable tells. If you know what to look for and how to react, you can shut the door before money or data leaves your phone.

How smishing works in a few seconds

• Urgent hook. The text claims a delivery problem, a locked account, a missed jury duty notice, or a prize. It pushes you to act fast.
• Convenient path. A short link or phone number routes you to a fake page or a fraudster posing as support. The page collects login details, card numbers, or Social Security information.
• Account takeover. If the attacker harvests your password, they try it on your email, bank, mobile carrier, and retailer accounts. If they get your SMS codes, they can break two factor security that relies on texts.
• Monetization. Criminals move money, buy gift cards or crypto, order phones on your plan, or resell your credentials.

Common lures you will see

• Delivery problems. “Your package is on hold. Pay $1.25 to release.” USPS and major carriers do not collect random fees by text. If you are expecting a package, go to the shipper’s official site directly.
• Bank or card alerts. “Unusual charge. Verify now.” The link points to a look alike site. If you think a charge is real, call the number on the back of your card or use your bank’s app.
• Mobile carrier upgrades. “Claim your free phone.” Fraudsters try to perform a SIM swap to intercept your texts. Contact your carrier using verified support channels.
• Government threats. “Final notice: court warrant or tax refund.” Agencies do not threaten jail by text and do not demand payment by gift card or crypto.
• Friends or coworkers. “Can you do me a favor, I need gift cards for a surprise.” Always confirm by voice or another channel before acting.

Red flags that give a smish away

• Unknown number or spoofed ID. Fraudsters can label texts as if they came from a known brand. Do not trust the display name.
• Short links. Domains like bit.ly or odd looking addresses hide the destination. Legit companies rarely use link shorteners for login or payment.
• Grammar and spacing errors. Awkward phrasing, stray punctuation, or mismatched capitalization are consistent tells.
• Requests for codes. No real support agent will ask you to read back a one time passcode that was just texted to you.
• Too good to be true offers. Free phones, prizes, and instant refunds are bait. Real promotions are announced through official apps and websites you can visit on your own.

What to do when a suspicious text arrives

• Do not tap links or call numbers in the message. Open the company’s app or type the known web address yourself. For deliveries, track using the official site.
• Report and block. Forward the message to 7726, which spells SPAM. Many carriers use this to filter future attacks. Then block the sender on your phone.
• Take a screenshot for records. If money was lost or information was exposed, a screenshot preserves evidence for your bank and law enforcement.
• Check the claim independently. If the text mentions your bank, card, or carrier, log in directly through the official app. If there is a real alert, you will see it there.

Stronger settings that stop account takeovers

• Use an authenticator app for two factor security. App based codes or hardware keys are safer than SMS codes because criminals cannot steal them with a SIM swap or text interception. See CISA multi-factor basics.
• Enable a carrier account PIN and SIM lock. Add or confirm a strong PIN on your mobile account and set a SIM PIN in your phone settings so a thief cannot move your number without the code.
• Turn on bank alerts in the app. Push notifications for logins, transfers, and large purchases help you react in seconds if something goes wrong.
• Use a password manager. Unique passwords for every site prevent one breach from unlocking everything else.

Tools from banks, carriers, and platforms

• Bank card controls. Many banking apps let you freeze a card temporarily, set travel notices, and limit online purchases. Use these when something feels off.
• Carrier spam filters. Check your carrier’s settings for spam protection and call blocking. Forward smishing to 7726 to improve the filters.
• Apple and Google protections. Keep iOS and Android updated. Only install apps from official stores. Turn off sideloading where possible.
• Email recovery and trusted devices. Secure your primary email with an authenticator app. Attackers target email first because password resets for other services flow through your inbox.

If you tapped the link or shared information

• Disconnect from the page. Close the browser tab. If an unfamiliar app downloaded, delete it immediately.
• Change passwords from a clean device. Start with the email tied to your financial accounts, then your bank, carrier, and retailers.
• Revoke sessions and reset tokens. In account security settings, sign out of other devices and reset recovery codes.
• Contact your bank or card issuer. Report any suspicious transactions, request new cards, and ask about chargeback rights.
• Enable a carrier account lock. Ask your carrier to add a port freeze and confirm your account PIN.
• Monitor credit. Consider a fraud alert or security freeze with the credit bureaus. You can start at IdentityTheft.gov.

Where to report smishing

• FTC fraud reports. File at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. This helps investigators spot patterns.
• FCC unwanted texts. Report illegal robotexts at FCC consumer complaints.
• Parcel scams. If the text pretended to be USPS, report at USPS help and handle any real shipments only on the official site.
• North Carolina help. If you are in North Carolina and money was lost, you can request assistance from the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at NCDOJ.

Simple habits that save money and stress

• Assume urgency is manipulation. Real companies seldom require instant action by text. Slow down, verify through official channels, and you will avoid most traps.
• Use known apps and bookmarks. Start at the bank or shipper app you already installed, not at a link that just arrived.
• Keep devices updated. Security updates close holes that malware uses. Turn on automatic updates for your phone and apps.
• Limit what you share. No one needs your one time codes over text or a support call. If someone asks, stop right there.
• Teach your household. Teens and seniors are frequent targets. A five minute talk prevents expensive mistakes.

Cost check: why prevention matters

Once criminals take over an account, direct losses can reach hundreds or thousands of dollars before you notice. Even when banks reimburse fraudulent charges, you can spend hours closing accounts, replacing cards, and repairing credit. A strong set of habits and a few free tools from your bank and carrier prevent most smishing damage. Forwarding attacks to 7726 helps carriers block the next wave for everyone.