What You Need to Know About the FedEx SMiShing Scam

You receive a text message saying that you have a package out for delivery. While you might feel exhilarated at first, you should think twice before clicking on that link in the text. According to CNN, users across the U.S. are receiving phony text messages claiming to be from FedEx as part of a stealthy SMS phishing (SMiShing) campaign.

How SMiShing Works

This SMiShing campaign uses text messages that show a supposed tracking code and a link to “set delivery preferences.” The link directs the recipient to a scammer-operated website disguised as a fake Amazon listing. The listing asks the user to take a customer satisfaction survey. After answering a couple of questions, the survey asks the user to enter personal information and a credit card number to claim a free gift, which still requires a small shipping and handling fee. But according to HowtoGeek.com, agreeing to pay the small shipping fee also signs the user up for a 14-day trial to the company that sells the scam products. After the trial period, the user will be billed $98.95 every month. What’s more, the text messages use the recipient’s real name, making this threat even stealthier.

How to Stay Protected

So, what can online shoppers do to defend themselves from this SMiShing scam? Check out the following tips to remain secure:

• Be careful what you click on. Be sure to only click on links in text messages that are from a trusted source. If you don’t recognize the sender, or the SMS content doesn’t seem familiar, stay cautious and avoid interacting with the message.
• Go directly to the source. FedEx stated that it would never send text messages or emails to customers that ask for money or personal information. When in doubt about a tracking number, go to the main website of the shipping company and search the tracking number yourself.
• Enable the feature on your mobile device that blocks texts from the Internet. Many spammers send texts from an Internet service in an attempt to hide their identities. Combat this by using this feature to block texts sent from the Internet.
• Use mobile security software. Make sure your mobile devices are prepared any threat coming their way. To do just that, cover these devices with a mobile security solution, such as McAfee Mobile Security.

To stay updated on all of the latest consumer and mobile security threats, follow @McAfee_Home on Twitter, listen to our podcast Hackable?, and ‘Like’ us on Facebook.