SMiShing on the rise

Fraudsters are increasingly targeting mobile messaging apps such as WhatsApp.

A quarter (26 per cent) of chat app users say they receive an unsolicited message every day, while 49 per cent receive at least one a week. The research by global trade body Mobile Ecosystem Forum and messaging specialist CLX Communications confirmed that spam still affects SMS more than chat apps, but not by much. More than a quarter of consumers (28 per cent) receive an unsolicited SMS message every day with 58 per cent report receiving one every week.

The majority of the 6,000 consumers in multiple countries quizzed said unsolicited mobile messages are mostly just a nuisance – notifying them of an unwanted offer or service. However, 33 per cent said that they had received a SMiShing (SMS phishing) message aiming to trick them into disclosing personal data such as bank details or passwords for online services. ®