In place of all those robocalls, you may notice your cellphone has become the target of spam texts. And just like robocalls, these texts and robotexts are becoming the preferred vehicle for scammers looking to infect your phone, steal your information and take your money. In fact, there’s even a name for it: smishing.
The IRS recently issued a warning, urging taxpayers to remain vigilant after identifying an exponential increase in the number of IRS-themed smishing incidents. “Scam messages often look like they’re coming from the IRS, offering lures like fake COVID relief, tax credits or help setting up an IRS online account,” the agency reported.
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“This is phishing on an industrial scale so thousands of people can be at risk of receiving these scam messages,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “In recent months, the IRS has reported multiple large-scale smishing campaigns that have delivered thousands – and even hundreds of thousands – of IRS-themed messages in hours or a few days, far exceeding previous levels of activity.”
Amy Nofziger, director of fraud victim…
