March 19, 2024

Athens News

News in English from Greece

Mobile phishing: what to look for in order not to become a victim of smishing

Recently, reports of misleading smishing messages (SMS phishing) have become more frequent. The National Cyber ​​Security Administration provides citizens with helpful advice.

Smishing, also known as SMS phishing, is a form of online scam attempt that is carried out using short text messages sent via a mobile phone. “Shock attack” looks like this:

• The victim receives an SMS message in which the sender pretends to be a trusted person, organization, institution, etc.

• The SMS is short and contains a link.

• By clicking on it, an unsuspecting user downloads malware onto their device or is redirected to a malicious website where they are asked to provide their data, such as confidential personal information, passwords, identification or passport data, bank account, bank card, etc. d.

Smishing incidents are being considered on a global scale. Reported malicious messages especially in Greece, which concerned documents from the supposedly Single Digital Portal (Gov.gr), or contained “fake” notices from the tax authorities (for example, supposedly a refund). Others came from seemingly banking institutions, as well as from some companies that recommended themselves as parcel tracking / delivery offices.

In a statement, the National Cyber ​​Security Administration urges citizens to treat SMS and the messages they receive in general with caution and not to react hastily, even if at first glance they appear to be genuine. The following preventive and protective measures are recommended:

• You must not click on any links contained in the message.

• You must not answer and react hastily to such messages even if they are presented as urgent. Spend some time searching the internet to verify the authenticity of the message. If possible, contact the intended sender to verify the authenticity of the SMS.

• Do not share personal information such as passwords, card numbers/PINs, username, etc.

• Under no circumstances should the relevant operator be accessed through links in any SMS or email you receive. This must be done through the official website of the institution, organization or bank (or through the official mobile application).

• Update your electronic device and applications regularly.



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