Phishing Text Messages | The Complete Guide to Smishing Scams, Real Examples & How to Stay Safe
Brief
A phishing text message is a fraudulent SMS sent by scammers who impersonate a trusted brand, bank, or government agency to trick you into clicking a malicious link, revealing personal information, or sending money. Also known as “smishing” (SMS + phishing), it’s one of the fastest-growing scam tactics precisely because people tend to trust text messages more than email, and attackers know it.
The scale of the problem is no longer minor: according to FTC data, U. S. consumers reported $470 million in losses to scams that started with text messages in 2024, more than five times the 2020 level, with fake package-delivery alerts, bogus bank fraud warnings, toll-road notices, and “wrong number” texts topping the list of most-reported scams.