Go smish! Texting scams impersonate these brands the most

March 1, 2024

By Kim Komando

Here’s a fun fact you can use to win a bet: 19.2 billion spam texts were sent this January. That works out to every person in the U.S. receiving around 19 spammy texts in just one month. Crazy, right?

Crooks have taken full advantage of how much we text by relying on SMS phishing, or “smishing,” the term for scam texts. They often pose as big brands to get you to give up personal info like credit card numbers and passwords.

Don’t get caught hook, line and sinker for these smishing scams. I’ll help you navigate the scammy seas.

Something smells smishy

🔍 AccuKnox looked at web searches to see which brands were impersonated the most in smishing scams. Surprise (not): Bank services, delivery companies and tech apps topped the list.

📬 Mail call … er, text: The USPS is No. 1 for scammers because so many people use it. There’s nothing like the fear of a missed delivery to get you to tap or click on a sketchy link.

• USPS smishing scams hit up to 36,000 people per month. Oof.

🏦 S’no-bank: Wells Fargo is a top target — almost 16,000 scam-related searches per month!

• A popular move: Scammers text pretending to be a Wells Fargo employee. Now, could you please send along your banking PIN or a temporary access code? (Don’t do it!)

💬 WhatsUp, smish? WhatsApp has around 2.8 billion active users, making it a hacker’s goldmine. It’s the third-highest for texting scams, with 14,000 searches made per month.

• A common WhatsApp smishing tactic involves an “emergency” that can only be fixed if you provide personal information. Banking issues and gift card offers are popular, too.

📦 Scam delivery: UPS clocks in at No. 4 on the list with over 11,500 searches per month.

• Scammers love to send fake texts pretending to be your UPS delivery driver. The twist? Oh, no! They can’t find your address! They’ll often send you a link and ask you to type it in there. How convenient.

Your safety checklist

It can be tougher to sniff out a bogus text versus a phone call or email. Keep these tips in mind:Ignore and block any unknown or fraudulent phone numbers.

• Never share highly personal info like your Social Security number, account numbers or passwords over text. 
• Be direct: If you receive a bank-related message and aren’t sure if it’s real, call your bank directly instead of responding. An easy way to find their number? Look at the back of your credit or debit card.
• Stop scammers: No joke, I don’t get spam calls or texts since I started using Incogni. Be sure you use code KIM60 to get 60% off.

Swindled by a smishing scam? You’re not alone. Here are your next steps:

• Report the text to the FTC. Include the sender’s phone number and a screenshot of the smishing attempt.
• If you’ve clicked a link in the scammy text or given up any personal info, call your bank to close affected accounts and cards. The bank may also have tools you can set up that will alert you of any suspicious activity on your accounts.
• Change your account passwords ASAP and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever you can.

🪦 Speaking of texts, the guy who invented autocorrect for smartphones passed away today. Restaurant in peace. (I crack myself up sometimes!)