The Federal Bureau of Investigation is sounding the alarm.
Despite sounding like some innocuous TikTok trend, the FBI is issuing a stern warning — and some directives — to Americans about waves of “smishing” attacks that are targeting swaths of people.
Multiple outlets are reporting that the FBI has issued a fresh, new warning about “smishing,” after having first identified the problem in March of 2024.
“Smishing” is a combination of the cybersecurity term “phishing” and “SMS,” or “short message service,” which is akin to standard text messaging.
According to Newsweek, this new wave of “smishing” has already “exploited more than 10,000 newly registered domains, using fake payment demands to steal personal and financial information.”
These “smishing” messages will typically all follow the same “script,” with the most recent wave being characterized by sending cell phone users a message saying that they have an unpaid toll due.
(This writer has personally received a bevy of these messages despite primarily driving in my neighborhood only — no toll roads anywhere.)
Given that not everyone deals with toll roads, the New York Post reports that these “smishing” scams have grown to emulate delivery services as well.
As for what Americans need