"SMS Scams Set to Peak on Saturday in UK"

UK telco EE has recently warned customers they could be deluged with millions of scam SMS messages on December 23 as fraudsters look to capitalize on last-minute Christmas shopping.  The mobile operator claimed that the equivalent day last year saw it block three million text message scams (aka “smishing”), the highest daily number in 2022.  The copany warned that this year the figure could reach as high as five million.  Among the most common smishing scams are missed delivery or delivery tracking messages, which use classic social engineering techniques to trick recipients into clicking.  Doing so could unwittingly initiate a malware install or take the user to a phishing page designed to harvest financial and personal information.  EE said it is using AI and initiatives like international SMS blocking, SMS blocking of trusted routes, and enhanced call protection to mitigate the risk for customers.  However, it warned that fraudsters are continually updating their tools and tactics to circumvent these defensive techniques.

Infosecurity reports: "SMS Scams Set to Peak on Saturday in UK"