{"id":161425,"date":"2022-11-10T03:57:05","date_gmt":"2022-11-10T11:57:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=161425"},"modified":"2022-11-06T14:21:13","modified_gmt":"2022-11-06T22:21:13","slug":"what-is-smishing-and-vishing-and-how-do-you-protect-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/what-is-smishing-and-vishing-and-how-do-you-protect-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Smishing and Vishing, and How Do You Protect Yourself?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Smishing and <\/span>vishing<\/span> are <\/span>scams<\/span> where criminals attempt to get users to click a fraudulent link through a phone <\/span>text message<\/span>, email, or voicemail. These <\/span>scams<\/span> are becoming increasingly popular as <\/span>cybercriminals<\/span> try to take advantage of people who are more likely to fall for them, such as those who aren’t as familiar with technology or who may be experiencing a crisis.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Be aware that <\/span>cybercrime<\/span> and hacking can happen to anyone. Criminals are always looking for new ways to exploit people, and they know that others may not be cautious or recognize the <\/span>warning signs<\/span> of <\/span>phishing<\/span><\/a> scams<\/span> when using the internet. That’s why it’s important to be aware of the different types of <\/span>cybercrime<\/span> and how to protect yourself.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This article discusses how to protect yourself from <\/span>smishing attempts<\/span> and <\/span>scams<\/span> where criminals try to get you to click on a fraudulent link or respond to their voicemail message to steal your <\/span>personal data<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is smishing?<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Most people are familiar with <\/span>phishing<\/span> scams<\/span>, where <\/span>scammers<\/span> try to trick you into giving them your personal or <\/span>financial information<\/span> by pretending to be a legitimate company or organization. But have you ever heard of smishing or <\/span>vishing<\/span>?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Smishing is a <\/span>type of phishing<\/span> scam<\/span> where attackers send <\/span>SMS messages<\/span> (or <\/span>text messages<\/span>) to trick victims into sharing personal information or installing <\/span>malware<\/span> on their devices. <\/span>Vishing<\/span> is almost identical to smishing, except <\/span>cybercriminals<\/span> use VoIP (Voice over IP) to place phone calls to trick victims instead of <\/span>SMS<\/span> (<\/span>short message service<\/span>) messages.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Smishing messages<\/span> often appear to be from a legitimate source, such as a well-known company or government agency. It may even include urgent language or threats in an effort to get victims to act quickly. In some cases, the message may also include a link that directs victims to a fake website where they are prompted to enter personal information or download <\/span>malware<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Examples of a <\/span><\/b>smishing text message<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Here are some examples of <\/span>smishing text messages<\/span> hackers<\/span> use to steal your <\/span>personal details<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n