FBI Confirms iPhone And Android Warning—Delete All These Texts
FBI confirms new DMV text attacks
AFP via Getty Images
Republished on June 13 with new calls on the federal government to intervene.
Attacks on iPhone and Android users surged more than 700% this month, with malicious texts targeting multiple cities and states. Following alerts from police forces across the country, the FBI has now confirmed the latest warning and stepped in. This threat comes directly from China, and you need to delete all these texts immediately.
As I reported earlier this week, the infamous unpaid toll texts that have plagued American smartphone users for more than a year 'have seen a significant decline recently. But the DMV texts that have replaced them are 'more threatening.' Attackers have learnt lessons from their unpaid toll texts, and this attack will be more dangerous.
That's the warning from Guardio, whose researchers have been tracking these attacks for months. Its team 'spotted a 773% surge in DMV scam texts during the first week of June,' which shows no signs of slowing. 'These scam texts lead to phishing websites designed to steal people's credit card information and make unauthorized charges.'
DMV scam surge
Guardio
Now the FBI has confirmed it is investigating the DMV scam. According to FBI Tennessee's Supervisory Special Agent David Palmer, the unpaid toll cybercriminals have 'pivoted to the DMV scam.' Confirming the gangs operate from overseas, Palmer warns these texts can 'put malware on your phone, which then can go in and steal information from your device, or collect your payment information.'
Palmer warns smartphone users 'if you don't know who [a text] is from, don't click the link.' Those links use domains crafted to trick users into thinking they're legitimate. As Guardio explains, 'scammers generate a new domain for almost every DMV text. The format is usually the name of a state followed by a generic domain. Sometimes they include '.gov' as part of the URL to make the website appear legitimate.'
There will be millions of these texts sent out over the coming weeks and months. As Resecurity warns, 'just one threat actor can send "up to 2,000,000 smishing messages daily,' which means targeting 'up to 60,000,000 victims per month, or 720,000,000 per year, enough to target every person in the U.S. at least twice every year.'
DMV texts
Guardio
Just as with undelivered packages and unpaid tolls, the FBI's advice is to 'delete any smishing texts received.' You don't want the dangerous links left on your phone, even though many are only active for a few hours before they're detected and blocked.
This surge in fake DMV texts has prompted Senator Tina Smith to 'press the Trump Administration to stop the widespread text message scam affecting Minnesotans,' just one of the many states now affected.
Smith says this is 'beyond a simple nuisance,' and 'jeopardizes the financial security of those it victimizes. And these messages threaten the peace of mind of thousands of Minnesotans who face the uncertainty of whether these messages are authentic. This scale and sophistication of this scam campaign calls for a federal response.'
Arizona's Attorney General has also issued a warning to the state's citizens. 'No matter which agency they're pretending to represent, government imposters share a common set of strategies to steal your information and savings,' AG Kris Mayes says. 'Not only is the scammer trying to steal consumers' money, but if you click the link, they could get your personal info (like your driver's license number) — and even steal your identity.'
Meanwhile, Oregon's DMV is the latest to warn its drivers. "These messages are not from Oregon DMV,' the DMV's Chris Crabb warns. 'These are fake messages designed to get you to click on a link and provide personal information or send money.'
The new DMV attacks go beyond the late payment lure with the toll texts, these cite a non-specific traffic offense and threaten suspensions of driving licenses and vehicle registrations. They create a sense of panic and urgency to push users to engage.
Just as with other text attacks, the advice is very simple. You must not engage in any way. Every one of these texts is a scam. If you have any doubts, contact your DMV using public channels. You can report the text. But you must delete it
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