UK telecoms provider EE has issued a warning to customers about a potential surge in scam SMS messages on December 23, targeting last-minute Christmas shoppers. Last year, EE blocked three million text message scams (smishing) on the equivalent day, the highest daily number in 2022. This year, EE anticipates the figure could rise to five million.
Common smishing scams involve deceptive messages about missed deliveries or delivery tracking, using social engineering to trick recipients into clicking. Clicking could lead to malware installation or redirect users to phishing pages harvesting financial and personal information. Group-IB reported a 34% increase in new phishing sites posing as delivery companies in the UK in the first ten days of December.
EE is employing AI and initiatives like International SMS blocking and Enhanced Call Protect to mitigate risks, but warns that fraudsters adapt continually. Jonny Bunt, Director of Regulatory Affairs for BT Group’s consumer division, noted the festive season’s heightened risk: “Super Saturday is set to be the busiest day of the year for high-street retailers, and scammers will be looking for ways to take advantage.” EE claims to have blocked over 45 million scam texts in 2023, emphasizing their role in defending against SMS scams.
SOURCE: INFOSECURITY MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 22 2023
