With the current complicated situation, phone users are always faced with spam messages providing false information. And among them include the form of phishing through fake messages. The form of fraud by text messages pretending to be network operators, banks, e-wallets, etc. Not new, but still many users fall into the trap.
Continuing the topic of Hi-tech Scam, Eye of the storm would like to warn users and customers that SMS scams are still popular today.
Surpassing the network operators
Currently, network operators believe that this form of fraud often has content such as:
- Call to upgrade 4G SIM by entering information
- Notify your bank account is being used illegally and send fake links
Although many prevention measures have been used, through verification, these fake messages do not come from the system of telecommunications services, but are spread through fake mobile broadcasting devices. impersonation (IMSI Catcher/SMS Broadcaster).
Often these devices are of foreign origin, illegally traded by crooks. For the purpose of spreading spam messages and defrauding users.
Accordingly, the subject first uses fake broadcasting devices to commit fraud through direct messages to the phone without going through the mobile telecommunications network.
Spam messages are sent by crooks who change the source information. They can change phone numbers, prefixes or identifiers. From there to create trust and deceive users.
The content of the message is often advertising, instructions or contains a link to a fake website. These websites are masquerading as official websites of financial institutions and banks. Then lure and steal user information such as accounts, passwords, OTP codes, etc.
Signs of SMS scams
The signs of SMS fraud are clearly shown throughout the fraud process as follows:
Step 1: Distribute fraudulent spam messages
Fraudsters will start using fake broadcast devices (IMSI Catcher/SMS Broadcaster) to send spam messages directly to the phone without going through the mobile telecommunications network.
These messages often fake the phone number, prefix or identifier of the network operator, thereby creating trust and misleading users.
The content of the message is usually advertising, instructions. And contains links to fake websites like official websites of financial institutions, banks...
Step 2: Ask users to provide personal information
When people do not recognize the fake website, they will accidentally provide personal information, account and password. Then the fake website will redirect to another website. Or send a message asking the user to wait for it to be resolved.
The crooks will then use the user's personal information to log in to the official websites of financial institutions and banks to start profiteering.
Step 3: Get the user's OTP code
When they make transactions on the account, the bank will ask for the OTP code via the user's phone number. After the user's phone receives the OTP authentication code. The fake website will be redirected to a state that requires the user to provide an OTP authentication code. When the user provides the OTP code, the bad guy will complete the fraud process via phone message.
Handling & measures to prevent scams via phone messages
How to handle when being scammed by text message
- When you find yourself the target of a scammer, do the following:
- When receiving messages: Be careful with links included in messages of unknown origin. Absolutely do not provide personal information when receiving strange messages.
- When phone SIM is disabled: If suspected due to SIM hijacking. You should immediately contact the network operators to lock the SIM.
- When you have accidentally provided personal information to a strange link: Immediately contact the hotlines of banking institutions. Then ask the staff to lock the account as well as change the password immediately to avoid loss of property.
- Immediately report to the authorities for investigation: Contact and report immediately to the customer care hotline of the bank or service organization impersonated in the message to report and prevent immediately.
Measures to prevent fraud via phone messages
All forms of high-tech fraud are caused by careless users leading to many unfortunate cases. So to prevent users need to be more careful:
- Do not click on the link asking for personal information, account information
- Do not provide OTP codes through fake messages or websites
- Check the links of the website to see if it is the real website or not
- Be careful in providing personal information, bank account when not needed
- Contact the service's customer care center directly before providing personal information
Source: Eye of Storm synthetic
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