By Ti-Hua Chang
(This story is made possible with the support of AARP)
SMS Phishing AKA Smishing
For the last year, I have noticed the SMS phishing or text scam messages to my cell phone became increasingly imaginative to the point where I actually answered one, wondering if it was someone I knew. I responded even though I knew criminals target seniors like me (over 60) because seniors are not as familiar with the digital/tech world and many have access to pensions, savings and property.
Responding was a big mistake.
Once I answered that scam text (also known as smishing), the sender knew my phone line was active, and I started getting more scam texts and unsolicited phone calls. I should never have responded to that unsolicited phone text; I should have blocked and deleted it immediately.
The smishing or scam texting to me became a daily event, and the texts became more and more believable. I was and am one of many. The Federal Trade Commission reports losses to text scams have skyrocketed even as the number of reports declined. In 2024, people reported $470 million in losses to these scams, more than five times the 2020 number.
Smishing, text scams: from Hi to Holiday wishes to jokes
I screenshotted these cleverer and cleverer scam texts just before I blocked and deleted them.
What began with simple, vague texts like “HI!” became friendlier and even cuter.
Here are some of my favorites:
August 29, 2025.
September 18, which came with an emoji
September 25, a seemingly innocuous request
October 3, scam text had my name.
The next day, the smishing scam text was sent to me in English and Chinese.
October 6, my possible niece, Wendy, contacted me. I do not have a niece named Wendy.
Smishing texts became daily and smarter
I got a scam text every day, and then it increased. October 19, I received three scam texts. All very natural, asking about grabbing dinner, long time no see, wishing my heart full and mind at peace.
October 22 was especially slick; the text asked about a software update.
October 29, the text referred to me as “Old classmate.”
In November, the scam texts inquired about my health, if I was busy, and if I wanted to cook dinner at the caller’s place—all were texts I could have received from a friend or family.
December 6th text asked about my Xmas plans and if …
Smishing history from 1990s
SMS phishing, or smishing, is derived from two words: fishing and phreaking. Fishing, as in using bait to catch fish, and phreaking, a hacker word for breaking into a system.
Google search says there are 7.4 billion cell phones globally for a population of 8.2. billion people. For some reason, people seem to trust text messages more than phone calls. An estimated 98% of initial text messages are opened.
Smishing began in the 1990s and as cell phones became more ubiquitous, so did smishing. Earthweb research found that in just one week in April 2022, criminals sent 2.6 billion smishing messages.
Hardcore smishing methods
The mild scamming I encountered is the least of the methods. Other methods include: threats of monetary fines, phony job offers, urgency of danger, prize money, impersonating government agencies, and establishing romantic or digital sexual encounters for blackmail.
Beware of texts from certain area codes
Certain area codes are frequently used by smishing scammers: 473, 232,268,809, 829, 849 976, 242. But experts warn to be wary of texts from your own area code or from major ones like 212 (New York) and 202 (Washington, DC).
Don’t respond in any way
In addition to not responding to an unknown, unsolicited text message, experts warn not to answer an unknown caller. Now, criminals can use AI to take one word, like ‘hello’ or ‘yes,’ and clone one’s voice to make institutional withdrawals. If it’s important, the caller will leave a message.
A more active response is to look up a company online and call its actual customer service to inquire if a solicitation is phony.
Criminals get billions from smishing
The more I blocked and deleted the scam texts, the more frequently and better they became. That makes sense since all scamming of seniors, those over 60, gets criminals an estimated 3.4 billion dollars a year.
Resources to fight smishing scams
There are resources to fight smishing. The Better Business Bureau has set up a simple way to report smishing. Forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM) and report it to BBB Scam Tracker at BBB.org/ScamTracker.
AARP has a Fraud Watch Network Helpline: 877-908-3360. It’s a toll-free service available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET
Also, one can report an attempted fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or call 877-FTC-HELP. Also the FBI has IC3.gov, Internet Crime Complaint Center for reporting cybercrime.
Finally, sign up on the National Do Not Call Registry to reduce unsolicited calls.
Registration is closed for Common Ground: Building Together conference and gala award banquet in San Francisco on January 24. A shoutout to our planning committee: Jane Chin, Frank Mah, Jeannie Young, Akemi Tamanaha, Nathan Soohoo, Mark Young, Dave Liu, and Yiming Fu.
We are published by the non-profit Asian American Media Inc and supported by our readers along with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, AARP, The Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation, The Asian American Foundation & Koo and Patricia Yuen of the Yuen Foundation.
Find additional content on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram ,Tiktok, X, and YouTube. Please consider interning or joining our staff. Don’t miss a single headline. Subscribe for free.
