With 5 billion people using SMS, hackers are increasingly targeting this communication method. In 2022, 68.4 million Americans fell for phone scams, with only 65% deleting texts from unknown senders. This form of phishing, known as smishing, aims to extract personal information or install malware via fraudulent links sent through SMS.
Common Smishing Scams:
- Delivery Notifications: Fake links mimicking package tracking updates.
- Bank/Credit Card Alerts: Messages about financial issues prompting immediate action.
- Raffle Wins: Fraudulent claims of prize winnings leading to malware.
- Password Resets: Fake two-factor authentication requests to steal account access.
- Tax Season Scams: False tax debt or refund claims with harmful links.
- CEO Fraud: Urgent, fake messages from higher-ups demanding information.
- Ridiculous Messages: Outlandish claims to scam susceptible individuals, often targeting the elderly.
Protection Strategies:
- Educate yourself and your employees about smishing.
- Ignore and delete suspicious texts.
- Use official channels for any financial or urgent communications.
- Implement security awareness training and simulations.
- Install antivirus and malware protection on mobile devices.
- Regularly update employees on new smishing tactics and reinforce security protocols.
Being proactive and vigilant can help mitigate the risks of smishing and protect both personal and corporate information.
About Us
Oberman Law Firm represents clients in a wide range of practice areas, including private equity, M&A, healthcare, corporate transactions, intellectual property, data privacy and security, regulatory compliance and governance, cross-border transactions, labor and employment, construction law, litigation, private clients’ services, corporate restructuring, and white-collar and governmental disputes.
As a firm, we offer the highest quality legal advice coupled with extraordinary and tailored service to deliver exceptional results to our clients. Our philosophy is to invest deeply in the brightest legal talent and build dynamic teams that operate at the pinnacle of respective practice areas. We believe in empowering our attorneys, encouraging entrepreneurialism, operating ethically and with integrity, and collaborating to bring the very best to every client engagement. These principles have guided us in building extraordinary and successful long-term partnerships with our clients.
