Text Spoofing: How to Recognize It and Protect Yourself

Given the rate at which cybercrime is escalating, it is becoming increasingly difficult to protect oneself from the many different types of digital attacks, whatever their nature. Ranging from identity theft to financial fraud, numerous types of scams are now a common reality – there are billions of spam texts sent out per year. Text spoofing is one of the many ways attackers commit fraud.

In this article, we will talk about SMS spoofing fraud, how it happens, and how you can prevent SMS spoofing and protect yourself from significant losses.

What is text spoofing?

Text spoofing, aka SMS spoofing, involves a criminal changing their Sender ID so that their messages appear to be coming from a trusted source.

The intended target might receive a message from a barely noticeable fake Sender ID that seems to be from a legitimate company, government agency, or even someone from their family or friends. However, a closer look reveals certain inconsistencies. For instance, the sender name or phone number may not exactly match what's saved in their contact list.

The cybercrime experts at Decision Telecom have walked us through the reasons why criminals employ SMS spoofing attacks and how you can identify spoofed messages and protect yourself from harm.

What is the motivation behind scammers perpetrating SMS spoofing attacks?

SMS spoofing serves one main purpose: to trick recipients into believing false information or taking actions that expose sensitive data, cause financial loss, or compromise their device's security.

Here are the main ways attackers hurt their victims via text spoofing.

• Smishing (SMS phishing): Attackers spoof SMS messages to appear as official requests from banks, financial institutions, online services, or other trusted sources. Their goal is to deceive users into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords, credit card details, or national insurance numbers, via text message.

• Spreading malicious content: Scammers send spoofed SMS messages containing malicious links or attachments (viruses, spyware). The goal of this type of SMS spoofing attack is to "infect" recipients' devices and steal personal or corporate information.

• Mass spamming: Attackers exploit SMS spoofing to bombard users with unwanted advertisements, promote financial scams, and send unauthorized commercial offers. Spamming users with unsolicited bulk messages allows the scammers to profit from advertising networks or illegal promotions.

• Blackmail: SMS spoofing can be a tool for extortion. These text messages threaten to reveal compromising information unless the recipient pays a ransom.

Scammers who spoof text messages leverage social engineering techniques by preying on human vulnerabilities like greed, fear, and naiveté.

Types of SMS spoofing

Depending on the mechanism of implementation, there are two main types of SMS spoofing scams that exploit sender data.

1. Sender ID spoofing

Scammers use specialized software that allows them to send SMS messages with modified phone numbers (i.e., fake Sender IDs) to be displayed at the recipients' end. They then create a fake contact that impersonates an official or trusted source, like a bank or government agency. These spoofed numbers are designed to trick users into giving up sensitive information.

2. SMS interception

In this method, attackers exploit a vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to a mobile network. This access allows them to intercept legitimate text messages and send fake ones on behalf of other subscribers after modifying the contents in some way without their permission or knowledge. SMS spoofing through interception is often used for mass spam campaigns that distribute malicious links or software.

An example of SMS interception is seen when attackers exploit a sender's International Mobile Subscriber Identification (IMSI). If they gain access to a mobile operator's network, they can intercept SMS messages directed towards a specific subscriber's IMSI. These intercepted messages can be redirected to other phone numbers or manipulated for fulfilling the attacker's malicious goals. The unfortunate owner of the spoofed IMSI may still end up with incurred charges that might go unnoticed on their phone bill.

6 ways to spot spoofed SMS messages

Identifying SMS spoofing can be tricky because scammers often put in a lot of effort to hide their tracks. However, they're not impossible to catch.

Here are some red flags to watch out for.

Fake sender IDs

Look out for questionable sender numbers.

If the sender's phone number looks suspicious, with mixed-up digits or wrong numbers, double-check the contact information in your phonebook. If it's a well-known brand name, you can always google their contact info and make sure the SMS message is coming from the exact number they use.

Suspicious wording

Scammers employing SMS spoofing often bank on confusing language. Watch out for passive voice constructions, participial phrases, and vague or impersonal sentence structures like "Your account has been compromised," "Order cancelled," "Urgent update required," or "Suspicious card transactions."

Grammar and spelling mistakes

Fraudsters might intentionally misspell words to bypass spam filters. Look out for substitutions like "HELL0" for "hello," "F1N4NCE" for "finance," or "FRE3" for "free."

Suspicious links

Text spoofing attackers often use link shorteners like bit.ly or tinyurl.com to hide lengthy URLs containing a lot of random character strings or alarming words. These links might also contain suspicious query parameters like "?id=123456" used to track your activity or steal private information.

Urgency tactics

Scammers will create a sense of urgency by claiming limited-time offers ("Valid today only") or pressuring you with time constraints ("Hurry, limited time"). 

They might also threaten negative consequences for not responding, like account blockage or fines, to pressure you into acting quickly. As a result, the person has a sense of panicked urgency that prompts quick action they regret later.

Check out our article about the way you can respond to scam texts.

Unrealistic promises

SMS spoofing scams often dangle unbelievable rewards, such as huge cash prizes or expensive gifts ("Win a million, a car, a trip", "Free: a magic way to lose weight", etc.) to entice you into responding. Don't fall for any text message making such outlandish claims.

Partner with a reliable SMS service

Decision Telecom can help your business connect with customers through its SMS marketing service. Reach even those who don't use messaging apps!

We'll register your official company name as your branded Sender ID so that your customers easily recognize your texts. Advanced security features like two-factor authentication and one-time tokens keep your business and customer data safe from SMS spoofing.

Contact our sales department today to get a quote and activate the service!