Delivery technique · MITRE ATT&CK T1566
SMS phishing (smishing)
Text messages about tolls, parcels, banks, or jobs that carry a link to a fake payment or login page.
How it works
- Messages are sent in bulk from rotating numbers.
- They create urgency with a small fee or a locked account.
- The link collects card or login details.
Defenses
- Go to the organisation's site directly, not through the text.
- Forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM) in the US and UK.
- Use carrier and phone spam filtering.
Reference: FBI IC3 PSA on toll smishing
Scams that use it
- Pig butchering
- Investment club stock pump
- Wrong-number friendship lure
- Hijacked-account friend in need
- Tax agency and benefits impersonation
- Toll and traffic fine smishing
- Jury duty and arrest warrant scam
- Senior official AI voice impersonation
- Bank safe account and fraud department scam
- Fake refund and over-refund scam
- Package delivery text scam
- Utility disconnection scam
- Account takeover through fake bank support
- Charity and disaster relief scam
- Lottery, sweepstakes, and prize scam
- Task scam (gamified online job)
- Fake recruiter and hiring scam
- Executive gift card request scam
- Employee SMS phishing (0ktapus-style)
- SIM swap
Cases
2025-05 · US · Disclosed
FBI warns of AI voice messages impersonating senior US officials, 20252023-08 · US · Disclosed
Retool breached through SMS phishing and a follow-up call, 20232022-08 · US · Disclosed
Twilio employees hit by SMS phishing (0ktapus), 2022