The Complete Guide to Smishing (SMS Phishing)

It’s unfortunately become an all-to-common scenario: you’re waiting for a package to be delivered—but then you receive an SMS text message that seems to be from the carrier, demanding payment before delivery can be completed. If you follow the link in the message, a look-alike website will be reached where you can enter your credit card information—and promptly have it stolen, along with your money. You’ve just become the latest victim of smishing.

Smishing is the name given to phishing scams run through SMS texting (the name being a portmanteau of SMS and phishing). This exact scenario played out for many Canadian customers awaiting package delivery from UPS during 2022 and 2023. Cybercriminals cracked an online package lookup tool and gained access to recipients’ data, including phone numbers, and began sending fraudulent SMS messages to the unaware victims...