Fraudsters are continuously devising new methods to deceive individuals, with the latest threat stemming from text messages. Recent research conducted by security experts at Malwarebytes reveals a significant surge in fraudulent messages being sent to smartphones.
These deceptive texts may start with a simple greeting or imply familiarity, such as claiming that the sender already has the recipient’s contact information saved. The ultimate goal of these messages is to establish a connection and extract personal details, which can then be exploited for data theft, as reported by the Express.
According to Malwarebytes, scammers aim to build trust through friendly conversations, potentially leading to elaborate romance or investment scams. Despite the seemingly incredulous nature of these schemes, they have proven to be remarkably successful.
One notorious tactic involves messages pretending to be a family member in distress, resulting in substantial financial losses to digital criminals in the UK. It is now imperative for iPhone and Android users to remain vigilant, refrain from responding to suspicious messages, and avoid clicking on any links sent by unknown sources.
Malwarebytes advises that responding to such messages confirms the recipient’s active phone number, marking them as a potential target for further scams involving the sale or sharing of personal information. If individuals encounter suspicious messages, they are advised to exercise caution and refrain from engaging with unknown contacts.