A new report warns of a significant spike in SMS phishing (smishing) scams targeting younger Americans between 18 and 29 years old.
The report, released by Consumer Reports, Aspen Digital and the Global Cyber Alliance, also found that 30 percent of people who experienced a cyberattack or scam this year said it began over a text message or a messaging app, compared to 20 percent last year.
“Phishing was still the most common type of scam or attack that people experienced, with 39 percent of those who had experienced an attack or scam saying that the scam used messages or emails purporting to be from a legitimate source asking for personal information,” the researchers write.
Additionally, the report states, “Nearly half of American consumers have personally encountered a cyberattack or a digital scam. Alarmingly, 1 in 5 of those who say they have personally encountered a scam or cyberattack—or about 1 in 10 Americans overall—say they lost money to the scam.”
Users can protect themselves against scams by following security best practices. Komal Bazaz Smith, Chief Business Officer of the Global Cyber Alliance, stated, “Many scams succeed not because of technical genius but because people don’t know or don’t follow basic steps to protect themselves.
“Strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, privacy-protecting web browsers – these things aren’t glamorous, but they are lifesaving. As this report makes clear, real progress depends on collective action: individuals making safer choices, industry building more secure products, and governments holding criminals accountable.”
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Consumer Reports has the story.
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