FBI sounds alarm about the rising 'smishing' attacks that hit our smartphones: Report | Today news

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a clear warning to millions of smartphone users across the United States and encouraged them to be extremely careful when receiving SMS messages, the US Sun reports. According to the publication, the warning comes in response to a boom in many misleading scams that target Apple and Samsung devices. According to the media, organized criminal groups based mainly in China spread fraudulent messages on generosity and target more than 150 million users. The messages are reportedly part of a growing suitcase of cyber fraud, known as ‘smishing’, in which attackers personify reliable institutions or officials to cheat on recipients to disclose personal or financial information via text. Since April 2025, the FBI reports that scammers have even gone so far as to personalize senior US government officials, with many victims believed to be current or former civil servants. “If you receive a message claiming you are from a senior US official, do not accept that it is authentic,” the FBI said. The media report emphasized that the fraudulent texts often hold urgent notices of state agencies such as the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or of major financial institutions, including Bank of America and Capital One. These messages usually claim that the recipient has unpaid tolls or fines, and offers a link to a false payment portal designed to steal sensitive data. In addition, the extent of the threat is staggering. According to the report, a single scam can be shipped as many as 60 million fraudulent texts in a single month, equivalent to 720 million annually. The FBI emphasized that these smishing campaigns are becoming more and more convincing, with messages adapted to mimic official language and layouts. Florida officials also reflect concerns and warn that the scams are now “more refined and convincing than in the past”. Users are requested to immediately remove any suspicious messages and never to click on unsolicited links or provide personal information through text. It is critical to verify the source of any communication, especially the financial matters. In a statement, the FBI advised: “Stay alert. If in doubt, contact the setting directly through official channels. Never trust a message exclusively on the basis of its appearance or urgency.”