Texters Beware: FBI Warns of Malicious ‘Smishing’ Texts Raging Across the US
March 13, 2025 – A new wave of scams is reportedly raging across the US. The FBI has stepped in to tell people to delete ‘Smishing’ phone texts.
As the seasons shift towards spring, the flora and fauna aren’t the only ones awakening from their winter slumber. Digital scammers and cybercriminals are back to their malicious ways, spreading viruses and tricking people out of their savings. Things have gotten so out of hand that the FBI has issued a warning to all US texters: delete those ‘Smishing’ texts.
What is ‘Smishing’?
After receiving numerous complaints about suspicious texts, the FBI sent out a national warning for citizens to “delete any smishing texts.”
The term ‘Smishing’ combines ‘SMS’ with ‘phishing’. The FBI defines ‘Smishing’ as “A social engineering attack using fake text messages to trick people into downloading malware, sharing sensitive information, or sending money to cybercriminals.”
These texts are scams intended to harm the recipient, stealing their personal data and money. The most notable texts thus far have reportedly been toll scams, where people receive an alert that they have an outstanding toll amount they need to pay before receiving a late fee. These texts are incredibly detailed—containing state-specific payment links and varied phone numbers—and thus incredibly dangerous.
The FTC cautions that “not only is the scammer trying to steal your money, but if you click the link, they could get your personal info and even steal your identity.”
Thousands have already been affected by ‘Smishing’
The top five cities being affected by these Smishing attacks are Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Orlando, according to McAfee. People from all walks of life are reporting receiving these scam messages, including Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill who stated: “I received this text as well. It is a scam. If you ever receive a text that looks suspicious, be sure to never click on it. You don’t want your private information stolen by scammers.”
In Detroit, WXYZ reported that more than 4,300 people commented that their phones too had been blowing up with unpaid toll texts.
Who Is Responsible?
According to Forbes, most of the payment links are allegedly connected to Chinese domain links.
Unit 42 showed how all the domains are linked in a social media post.
A threat actor leveraging the same naming pattern has registered 10K+ domains for various #smishing scams. They pose as toll services for US states and package delivery services. Root domain names start with “com-” as a way to trick victims. More info at https://t.co/drBEuvGoJj pic.twitter.com/7CBkvwYWxo
— Unit 42 (@Unit42_Intel) March 7, 2025
In this digital age, it is important to remember the importance of online safety.
As the FBI advises, if you get a suspicious text: Delete it!
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Published by HOLR Magazine