Text message scams with links (also called smishing) are fraudulent SMS messages. They trick you into clicking malicious links designed to steal your personal data, banking credentials, or infect your phone with malware. If you receive an unexpected text with a link from an unknown number, do not click it.
What Are Text Message Scams?
Text message scams are a form of phishing conducted via SMS. Scammers send fake messages impersonating banks, delivery companies, or government departments. These messages contain links to spoofed websites that harvest your credentials. Additionally, some links may directly install malware on your phone that captures passwords and banking information in the background. This is similar to WhatsApp phishing link scams but targeted via SMS.
What Are the Most Common Text Message Scam Types?
1. Prize and Gift Card Scams
A text tells you that you have won a prize, coupon, or gift card. Clicking the link leads to a site requesting your personal details to “claim your reward”.
2. Bank Alert Scams
In another common type, an SMS claims to be from your bank, warning of unusual activity on your account and asking you to click a link to verify. The link leads to a fake bank login page that steals your credentials.
3. Delivery Notification Scams
Similarly, a text claims to be from a courier service such as FedEx, Amazon, or India Post. It says your parcel cannot be delivered and requests you click a link to reschedule. The link installs malware or captures card details for a fake “redelivery fee”.
4. Loan and Low-Interest Credit Card Offers
Moreover, these texts offer pre-approved personal loans or zero-interest credit cards. They direct you to sites that collect your Aadhaar, PAN, income, and banking details for identity theft. Learn more about online personal loan scams.
5. Invoice and Payment Dispute Texts
Additionally, fake invoices sent via SMS instruct you to contact a number or click a link. They claim this is needed if you did not authorise the purchase. Both actions are traps designed to obtain your financial information.
How to Identify a Text Message Scam?
- Unsolicited message from an unknown sender
- Contains a shortened or unfamiliar URL
- Moreover, it creates urgency — “Your account will be blocked in 24 hours”
- Asks for personal, financial, or login information
- Furthermore, it offers a prize, cashback, or offer you did not apply for
How to Protect Yourself from Text Message Scams?
- First, never click links in unexpected texts — Verify any alert directly by visiting the company’s official website via your browser.
- Second, do not reply with personal information — Legitimate organisations will never ask for your OTP, PIN, or Aadhaar via SMS.
- Also, enable spam filtering — Most smartphones and carriers have built-in tools to filter messages from unknown senders.
- Additionally, install a reputable security app — Some mobile security apps detect malicious links before you click them.
How to Report Text Message Scams in India?
- First, forward the scam SMS to 1909 (TRAI DND service) or send a text to 1909 within 3 days of receiving it
- Then, call the National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930
- Furthermore, file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in
- Lodge an FIR at your nearest cyber crime police station
If you clicked a scam link and suspect criminals accessed your data, contact cyber expert Anuraag Singh for immediate incident response assistance.
