What Is Smishing?
Smishing is phishing delivered by SMS or text message. An attacker sends a text that looks like a delivery notice, a bank alert or an internal request, hoping you tap a link or reply with information before checking who really sent it. The word combines SMS and phishing.
Examples of smishing
Smishing messages borrow familiar, everyday situations so the request feels routine:
- A delivery text claims a parcel needs a small redelivery fee and links to a lookalike courier page.
- A bank alert warns of a blocked account and asks you to sign in through a shortened link.
- A message that appears to come from IT asks you to reactivate your workspace account before a deadline.
How to spot a smishing text
The message is designed to make you act first and think later. These cues deserve a pause:
- A message you did not expect, about a delivery, payment, or account you cannot match to anything you did.
- A shortened or unfamiliar link that hides where the tap will take you.
- Urgency: a fee, a deadline, or a threat that something will be suspended.
- A request for card details, credentials, or a one-time code.
Smishing vs phishing
Phishing is the broader term for deceptive messages that trick people into revealing information or taking an action. Smishing is the same attack delivered by text message instead of email. The channel changes, but the defence is the same habit: pause, verify the request through a trusted channel, and report anything unexpected.
Clarity before
the next step.
What does smishing mean?
Smishing means phishing by SMS. It is a text message that pretends to be from a trusted sender to make you tap a link, share information or call an attacker.
What should I do if I get a smishing text?
Do not tap the link or reply. Open the service’s official app or website independently to check the claim, then report and delete the message.
Can smishing be trained for?
Yes. Realistic SMS phishing simulations let staff practice checking a text before they tap, with coaching at the moment of the decision.