Latest Scam Target: Cell Phone Users

The newest security threat that has been identified is "SmiShing". SmiShing is phishing through SMS (Short Message Service).

Cell phone users are reporting receiving SMS messages from a fictitious dating service. the messages say the recipient has signed up for the service and informs them they will be charged $2 per day until they cancel the service. The message includes a URL that, if clicked on, downloads a Trojan horse that could allow a web-enabled phone to by controlled by hackers.

This latest discovery indicates that cell phones and other mobile devices are becoming increasingly used by perpetrators of malware, viruses, and scams. It also reveals that phishing has become a very profitable scam. To use SMS, phishers must pay a fee for each text message sent out, so the money they make from victims must be substantial enough to justify these fees. It also suggests that proposals to charge for email messages in an attempt to reduce spam and phishing may be ineffective.

McAfee Lab's experts fear that smishing could pose a big threat because people have not yet learned to use their cell phones with the same level of caution that they apply to their PCs.

Protect yourself. If you receive a text message on your phone from someone you don't know, don't accept it. Also, do not click on links that you don't know.