variants
or less commonly SMiShing
: the practice of sending text messages to someone in order to trick the person into revealing personal or confidential information which can then be used for criminal purposes
Don't get too excited if you receive a text message announcing you've won a gift card from a big retailer. Chances are it's smishing—or scams perpetrated by text messages.—
Emily Glazer
Emily GlazerSmishing is essentially phishing ported to mobile devices and typically arrives in the form of a text message suggesting the user has signed up for a service, and will be charged until they cancel using a web site. The site then prompts the user to click on a link, which actually triggers the download of a Trojan horse …—Computing
Computingcalled also SMS phishing
compare phishingExamples of smishing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To recognize a smishing scam, look out for the following:
Unknown or hidden numbers.
—Emily Wunderlich, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Jan. 2025
Here’s how to protect yourself To recognize a smishing scam, look out for the following:
— Unknown or hidden numbers.
—Emily Wunderlich, Sun Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2025
Despite a statewide legislation push to crack down on robocalls, consumers have still been susceptible to spoofing and text message smishing scams in recent months.
—Alex Perry, The Enquirer, 17 Dec. 2024
Beware of smishing:USPS warns about package tracking 'smishing' text messages: Here's what to know
Can USPS refuse to deliver your mail?
—Mariyam Muhammad, The Enquirer, 19 Dec. 2024
The trending attack has grown, and in 2023, 75% of respondents to a Proofpoint survey experienced a smishing attack, according to the company's 2024 State of the Phish report (registration required).
—Gegham Azatyan, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
That’s because the phishing, smishing (SMS phishing), and vishing (video phishing) attempts now sound far more credible and can be replicated across many targets with minimal effort.
—Kal De, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
As a result, smishing has been on the rise in recent years.
—Matt Burgess, WIRED, 8 Aug. 2024
The company had previously found a separate SQL injection in the group’s smishing kits and provided Smith with a copy of the tool.
—Matt Burgess, WIRED, 8 Aug. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Emily Wunderlich, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Jan. 2025
Here’s how to protect yourself To recognize a smishing scam, look out for the following:
— Unknown or hidden numbers.
—Emily Wunderlich, Sun Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2025
Despite a statewide legislation push to crack down on robocalls, consumers have still been susceptible to spoofing and text message smishing scams in recent months.
—Alex Perry, The Enquirer, 17 Dec. 2024
Beware of smishing:USPS warns about package tracking 'smishing' text messages: Here's what to know
Can USPS refuse to deliver your mail?
—Mariyam Muhammad, The Enquirer, 19 Dec. 2024
The trending attack has grown, and in 2023, 75% of respondents to a Proofpoint survey experienced a smishing attack, according to the company's 2024 State of the Phish report (registration required).
—Gegham Azatyan, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
That’s because the phishing, smishing (SMS phishing), and vishing (video phishing) attempts now sound far more credible and can be replicated across many targets with minimal effort.
—Kal De, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
As a result, smishing has been on the rise in recent years.
—Matt Burgess, WIRED, 8 Aug. 2024
The company had previously found a separate SQL injection in the group’s smishing kits and provided Smith with a copy of the tool.
—Matt Burgess, WIRED, 8 Aug. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near smishing
Cite this Entry
“Smishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smishing. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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