Arizona's Attorney General Kris Mayes has issued a warning to residents about the increasing threat of "smishing" scams. These scams involve fraudulent text messages with the aim of tricking individuals into downloading malware or sharing personal information. "Smishing" is derived from "SMS," meaning short message service, combined with "phishing."
Attorney General Mayes emphasized the seriousness of these scams: “Scam texts aren't just frustrating the hell out of Arizona consumers — bad actors are preying on Arizonans with smishing scams in an attempt to steal their identity and their hard-earned savings.” Mayes advised consumers to avoid clicking on suspicious links or responding to questionable messages, and to delete any doubtful texts.
The scammers leverage phony web links in text messages, directing recipients to counterfeit websites designed to extract personal and financial information, potentially leading to identity theft. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported a $12.5 billion consumer fraud loss in 2024, a 25% increase from 2023. Arizona's Consumer Information and Complaints Unit (CIC) received nearly 22,000 complaints about scams and deceptive practices, recovering $5.2 million for affected consumers.
Some examples of smishing scams include fake alerts about unpaid tolls, unsolicited job offers, bank alerts for unverified transactions, package delivery notifications, and tax refund promises. Each scam aims to lure victims into providing sensitive information or clicking malicious links.
Attorney General Mayes advised several preventative measures: avoiding messages from unfamiliar sources, ignoring links in unsolicited texts, and ensuring personal information is protected through multi-factor authentication. It's also recommended to update device security and use phone features or apps that filter and block unwanted messages.
Residents who experience smishing attempts are encouraged to report them by forwarding such messages to 7726 (SPAM) and can file consumer complaints through the Attorney General’s website or contact their office directly by phone. Additional complaints can be registered with the FTC online at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.