Smishing

Smishing is phishing by text message, combining SMS and phishing. It also covers scam messages on WhatsApp, iMessage, Messenger and other chat apps. Common examples include fake parcel delivery fees, unpaid road tolls, bank alerts, prize wins and the "Hi Mum, this is my new number" scam. Smishing works well because phone screens are small, links are short, and people reply quickly. Red flags are unexpected links, small payment requests, unknown numbers and pressure to act now. Do not tap the link. Check through the company's official app or website, and in the US, UK and several other countries you can forward scam texts to 7726.