Smishing Secrets Revealed: Staying Safe Over SMS
In the modern digital age, communication happens at the tap of a finger. The threat of cybercrime lingers still, with malicious actors hell-bent on capturing your sensitive information like login credentials or personal details. One menace that has gained prominence in recent years is “smishing” – a deceptive practice that preys on unsuspecting individuals through text messages; yes, those SMS bubbles that many people thought we’d left in the 00’s.
At Fusion IT, we offer protection and education on scam and spam attacks, which are sadly all too frequent online.
In this post, we’ll delve into the world of smishing, uncovering its secrets and equipping you with the knowledge to protect yourself from potential harm.

Understanding Smishing Tactics
Let’s first define “smishing”.
Smishing, a mashup of “SMS” and “phishing,” relies on psychological manipulation and social engineering to deceive victims. These tactics often involve spoofing phone numbers, sending urgent messages, and exploiting users’ emotions to elicit a response. By masquerading as a legitimate entity, these types of smishing attacks aim to trick recipients into divulging sensitive information or clicking on malicious links.
How Does Smishing Work?
Smishing attacks work by trying to trick users. Cybercriminals attack mobile users by sending deceptive text messages. We’ve seen messages claim to be sent from financial institutions in an attempt to con users into revealing private information, such as bank account details or sensitive personal information.
Alongside from the implicit financial fraud, smishing is widely used in tech support scams, often via the use of a malicious link to a fraudulent website, where an attacker may be trying to steal your credit card information or other personal data.
Recognising Smishing Attempts Over Text Messages
Smishing attacks can come in many forms, it’s no longer restricted to unexpected or suspicious messages. To defend against smishing attacks, it’s essential to recognise the warning signs. Be wary of unsolicited messages requesting personal or financial details, especially if they contain grammatical errors or come from unfamiliar numbers. Additionally, scrutinise any links included in texts, as they may lead to fraudulent websites designed to steal your information.
By looking carefully at the links and URLs included in your text messages, you should be able to identify any strange login locations. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to recognise any kind of phishing or smishing scam thanks to the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is able to learn and create more believable content on a daily basis.
Short Message Service – The Only Kind of “Text Message”?
SMS stands for Short Message Service – and has been in use since the late 1980s. At the turn of the century, if you sent a text message, it would most likely be served over the SMS protocol. It is synonymous with text messages, owing to its long and extensive adoption but it’s not the only protocol in use.
What’s the Difference Between SMS and RCS?
As technology has continued to develop over the past 20-30 years, SMS has begun to show its age and, to keep up with the times, new emerging solutions have come to the scene. RCS or Rich Communication Services allows for communication much in the same way that SMS does, but offers multiple advantages, such as read receipts to confirm message delivery and higher quality multimedia sharing, all over the Internet Protocol via TCP.
This communication over IP gave rise to popular non-sms messaging apps, such as WhatsApp, Signal, and continues to evolve with solutions such as Matrix. Whether it’s SMS or RCS, smishing scams don’t care; a smishing message can be delivered over either service provider since many devices now support RCS/SMS bridges. Smishing messages can also be delivered to virtually any device, be it a mobile device, personal laptop or desktop.
Consequences of Falling for Smishing Attacks
The repercussions of falling for a smishing scam can be severe, ranging from identity theft to reputational damage. Victims may find themselves facing financial turmoil as fraudsters gain access to their bank accounts and other sensitive data.
It’s not just financial or personal information that can be lost to attackers – smishing scams can be used to circumvent internal security procedures, resulting in an attacker being able to gain access to your businesses files and documents. Data exfiltration isn’t the only concern – if an attacker has access, they may also be able to upload files to your network, such as viruses and malware.
Disaster Recovery with the help of Fusion IT can help to mitigate your losses. Contact us today.
Tools and Resources for Smishing Prevention
Fortunately, there are tools and resources available to mitigate the risk of and help prevent smishing attacks. Anti-smishing apps and software can bolster mobile security by flagging suspicious phone numbers, while education initiatives raise awareness about common tactics used by scammers. Additionally, reporting suspicious messages to authorities enables swift action to be taken against fraudulent activities.
At Fusion IT, our anti-spam solution, Proofpoint is the perfect addition to keep your business safe from spam attacks.
Want to know more? Speak to our team about Proofpoint today: 03332414123
Best Practices For Staying Safe Over SMS
By adhering to best practices, you can enhance your protection against smishing attempts.
- Know how to recognise malicious smishing text messages. A smishing text message could appear convincing, but always check twice. Report smishing attempts to your service provider.
- Safeguard your personal information by refraining from sharing it with unknown parties and verifying the legitimacy of messages before taking action. This could be as simple as not giving out your phone number unless you can verify the identity of the person you’re sharing it with.
- Never provide personal details over SMS unless you can verify the authenticity of the recipient.
- Implement strong passwords and PINs on your devices to fortify their security and minimise the risk of unauthorised access. This applies across all technology, not just mobile devices, as SMS solutions are now present on Desktop as well as tablet and mobile.
- Deploy an anti-spam solution like Proofpoint with support from Fusion IT.
In conclusion, smishing poses a significant threat to customers’ personal and financial well-being in today’s interconnected world. Text messaging used to be fun – by understanding the tactics employed by smishers, recognising red flags, and adopting preventive measures, you can safeguard yourself against potential harm. Stay informed, stay vigilant, and together, smishing can be combatted effectively and create a safer digital environment for all.
LOOKING TO IMPROVE YOUR ONLINE SECURITY? CONTACT FUSION IT TODAY: 03332414123