Hello, Me – It’s … Me? “Smishing” – The Latest SMS Scam Trend

Scammers will stop at nothing to get a person’s sensitive information. They’re even stooping as low as messaging you… from your own phone number? There’s been a recent trend where people are getting weird messages from their phone numbers. It happened to a swath of Verizon customers and It seems like everyone had the exact strange text from themselves.

Have you received this message?

“Free Msg: Your bill is paid for March. Thanks, here’s a little gift for you:” with a suspicious-looking link, begging your curiosity to give in and click. It’s a form of “smishing.”

People have taken to Twitter and even TikTok to share their experiences, feeling mainly confusion from this mysterious text from themselves.

Gone Smishing

SMS phishing, also known as “smishing,” is a type of phishing in which scammers send out “trustworthy” texts to get people to reveal their personal information. The message could range between an innocent, friendly “face” reaching out or an urgent callout.

Seems harmless enough, right? WRONG. Consumers lost around $86 million to scam texts in 2020 alone.

Spoofing is one of the ways scammers get to the public. Pretending to be someone they’re not and hoping you’ll fall for the trick.

Ghosting Scammers

SMS phishing has become as common as scam calls in the last few years.

If you do receive a random message encouraging you to click on a link, make sure to verify the origin of the text, even if it’s yours!

Here are some tips on avoiding and putting a stop to receiving spam texts:

• NEVER open the link
• Report the unusual message to your phone provider
• Block the number to prevent more weird texts
• File a complaint with the FCC

First Orion, a leading solutions provider for mobile carriers and enterprises, tracks scam call data to help us transform the mobile communications experience. We also protect consumers with our free PrivacyStar app, available for Apple and Android devices.