• Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Cyber Security
  • Software & Hardware
  • Cloud Computing
  • Blog
  • 📞 832-295-1411
832-295-1411 info@executiveithelp.com | Client Logins
facebook
linkedin
twitter
google_plus
  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Cyber Security
  • Software & Hardware
  • Cloud Computing
  • Blog
  • 📞 832-295-1411

Technology

Scam of the Week: Smishing and Shortened URLs

04 May 2021
0 Comment
David McDowell

Smishing (text message phishing) continues to grow in popularity. Smishing attacks can be difficult to catch, especially because both legitimate and phishy text messages tend to use shortened URLs. A URL is the web address of a page. Typically, the URL shows you where a link will take you. For example, a URL like https://blog[dot]knowbe4[dot]com/why-should-we-care-about-personal-smishing-attacks will take you to a KnowBe4 blog post about personal smishing attacks. 
Because text messages have character limits, including a full URL is not practical. Instead, URL shortening programs are used to create a redirect link. For example, this shortened URL https://bit[dot]ly/3gUpTk1 will redirect you to the blog post mentioned above—or will it? There is no way for you to know where that shortened URL will send you. Cybercriminals often use this technique to redirect you to a malicious website or to a download page for malware. Don’t be fooled!

Follow these tips to spot a potential Smishing attack:

Think before you click. Were you expecting this message? When did you give this company your phone number? Did you sign up for text notifications?
Be cautious of a sense of urgency. The bad guys often use words like “urgent” or “ATTENTION” to try and trick you into impulsively clicking a malicious link. 
If you think the text message could be legitimate, try typing the shortened URL into a URL expander tool, such as GetLinkInfo or ExpandURL. These tools will reveal where the shortened URL will direct you, without taking you to the redirected site.

Stop, Look, and Think. Don’t be fooled.
Executive IT Help Security Team
Office: 832-295-1411

About the Author

Social Share

  • google-share

Request Information

    Categories

    • Blog
    • Services
    • Uncategorized

    Quick Menu:

    • Home
    • About
    • Managed Services
    • Cyber Security
    • Software and Hardware
    • Cloud Computing
    • Blog
    • Contact

    Recent Posts

    • 62 Texas, United States Based Business Information Systems Companies | The Most Innovative Business Information Systems Companies
    • SCAM OF THE WEEK: Using QuickBooks to Make a Quick Buck
    • SCAM OF THE WEEK: Malicious Multi-Vector Attacks
    • SCAM OF THE WEEK: What’s Up with WhatsApp Scams?
    • SCAM OF THE WEEK: Prime Time for Amazon Prime Day Scams

    Our Location:

    Executive IT Help, Inc.
    1414 South Loop W, Suite 110
    Houston, TX 77054
    832-295-1411

    Managed It Services · Security · Software and Hardware · Cloud Services · Data Backup · Disaster Recovery
    Serving Houston, Pasadena, Galveston, Sugar Land, Texas City, and surrounding areas
    © Executive IT Help, Inc.

    Executive IT Help Consultation

    Name(Required)
    Company(Required)