[ADVISORY ALERT] Latest PRE-EMPTIVE Tip For SMS Scams
SCAMS are everywhere, sad to say. BUT before we get embroiled in the much larger and wider landscape of SCAMS, for today, our thread will share HOW to initiate that preemptive move of NOT [inadvertently] clicking a LINK sent via those SMS SCAMS which prey on our human nature to react instantaneously in the face of emergencies OR fears. Surely, as we speak now, everyone has had his/her fair share of received SMS SCAMS with embedded links BUT in our [ADVISORY ALERT] Latest PRE-EMPTIVE Tip For SMS Scams thread today, we'd like to share that PRE-EMPTIVE move against those 'LINKS'📘📙📗
- THAT your online banking account got flagged and blocked
- THAT your purported Fedex/UPS parcel is 'ON HOLD'
- THAT your CPF account [in Singapore] needs attention
- THAT your vehicle got flagged for a violation with penalties
- THAT your ['named'] next of kin is now at the hospital ER
To quote BleepingComputer @https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/phishing-texts-trick-apple-imessage-users-into-disabling-protection/, the latest SMS ruse can be recognized by the way it tries to get you to reply with a 'Y' to enable a link embedded in the SMS text. That message might also get you to copy and paste the link into SAFARI. Replying to that message OR moving the link elsewhere gets around a key security measure in Apple's IOS [WHICH upon enabling the FILTERING option discussed above, links from senders WHO are NOT in your contacts list are DISABLED BY DEFAULT❗❗❗That iPhone feature that preemptively disables embedded links from senders WHO are NOT in your contacts list is so critical to iPhone security such that you CAN'T simply toggle it ON OR OFF because it's a built-in part of the messages app WHICH we CAN'T change. Giving you a 'Y' to reply YES [or another similar response] makes IOS think that you know the SENDER and once you restart the MESSAGES app [as the SCAM SMS will tell you to do so], that link will be 'tappable' and will then take you to some form of fraudulent and credential-stealing website, whew!@#$%? THAT familiar trick of pushing the message recipient to act QUICKLY arising from the urgent OR emergency nature of that SCAM SMS. Before we know it, it's 'dooms day'😡😡😡 Our takeaway: Before you miss the point, PLEASE NOTE that even messages that appear to come from your 'TRUSTED CONTACT' can be FAKED!@#$%? SO HOW? Maybe an account impersonating them has been created! OR maybe hackers have managed to legitimately get access to their accounts. So, if you do receive a LINK from someone you know, pick up the phone, call and double-check with them that it's genuine before clicking that LINK. WHAT's our BIGGEST PROBLEM now? That SHARING feature of online posts is so damn easy to click. And in the world's "SMS CAPITAL" [in terms of SMS volume], a big chunk of end-users will NOT even wait for another second to click a link WHEN he/she receives a SHARED link [even from his/her legitimate and valid 'TRUSTED CONTACT' and clicks right away!@#$%?
p.s. As we DON'T have Android phones here at home, I did a quick GOOGLE SEARCH for the similar preemptive security function for Android devices. Please refer to this --------->. I suggest you validate these screenshot's details because I am unable to validate that it's a functional equivalent of that IOS security feature. To be forewarned is to be forearmed
