The FBI has issued a nationwide warning of a new wave of “glowing” attacks that spread throughout the United States.
Smiling texts are fraudulent messages sent through SMS (short messaging service) or text messages aimed at deceiving recipients in detecting personal information, such as passwords, credit card details or other sensitive data.
The term “smile” is a combination of “SMS” and “phishing”, referring to the fraudulent tactics used to manipulate individuals in providing confidential information.
Cyber criminals have recorded more than 10,000 fields to promote these frauds, aimed at iPhone and Android users with fraudulent text messages designed to steal personal and financial information.
Authorities encourage recipients to delete any suspicious message immediately.
A new report from the Internet Security Firm Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42, the company’s search division that specializes in the intelligence of threat and reaction of incidents, reveals that these frauds seduce victims in the provision of sensitive data, including details of credit cards and bank account.
Originally focused on fraudulent fee payment notifications, the campaign has been expanded to include false delivery service alerts, deceiving users clicking on malicious links.
For months, state and local authorities have raised alerts regarding the fraud of tariffs, which fake that the recipients owe to outstanding tariff fees.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that clicking on these links not only endangers financial theft, but also exposes victims to identity fraud.
Fraudulent messages follow a common model: they claim that an unpaid bill requires immediate action to avoid fines.
The text includes a connection that directs users to a payment portal – this is where the wide network of scammers fields enters the game.
Since Apple’s imessage blocks suspicious links, fraudsters now instruct users to copy and glue URL to their browser online, making detecting more difficult.
Internet security experts believe that fraud functions as an exclusive model, sets of tools of use by Chinese cyber groups.
Unit 42 identified numerous malicious fields, much using China’s high -level .xin (TLD) domain, including:
- dhl.com-new[.]peg
- FedEx.com-fedexl[.]peg
- ezdrive.com-2h98[.]peg
- e-zpassny.com-licketd[.]peg
- Sunpass.com-licketap[.]peg
- thetollroads.com-fastrakeu[.]peg
FTC advises that legitimate US numbers and delivery companies will never redirect users in foreign fields.
A report from the McAfee Internet security firm highlights the cities most affected by these frauds.
Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago and Orlando are among the first five – with other target areas highly involved including Miami, Houston, Denver, Phoenix and Seattle.
Authorities have noticed a fourfold increase in these frauds since January.
The danger of these frauds was underlined by Luiziana Attorney General Liz Murrill, who discovered that she was targeted herself.
“I also received this text. Is a trick. If you ever get a text that looks suspicious, make sure you never click on it. You do not want your private information to be stolen by fraudsters, “she warned.
Some fraud changes have introduced additional fraudulent tactics.
A local news investigation in Detroit revealed that when the victims tried to make a payment, they received an error message claiming their card had been rejected.
This trick encourages them to go into numerous details of the cards, giving the fraudsters access to more financial information.
The FBI asks the public to follow these steps if they take a suspicious text:
- File a complaint at the Internet Crime Appeals Center (IC3) at http://www.ic3.gov, providing details of the phone number and website listed in the text.
- Visit the website of the legitimacy of the Toll Service or contact their customer service to verify outstanding payments.
- Delete any smiling message immediately.
- If personal or financial details are compromised, take immediate steps to secure your accounts and oppose any unauthorized transaction.
Similarly, FTC advises:
- Avoid clicking about or responding to unexpected texts.
- Verify messages by contacting the relevant tariff agency through official channels.
- Report and delete fraud texts, using the “Junk” report feature on smartphones or convey them to 7726 (SPAM).
Internet security firm Zimperium has warned that online criminals are increasingly adopting a “first mobile attack strategy” due to users’ vulnerability on small screen equipment.
The comfort of smartphones makes people more predisposed to click on text messages than email, increasing the risk of falling for such fraud.
With the glowing fraud that evolve and spread at an alarming rate, authorities continue to emphasize vigilance.
The public is encouraged to remain careful and to avoid interacting with unwanted messages, ensuring that their personal and financial information remains protected.
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