What Is SMS Spoofing? Definition, Examples & Risks
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Last Updated: 6 min read
Key Takeaways
- SMS spoofing involves altering sender information to impersonate a legitimate source for fraudulent purposes.
- The rise in cybersecurity attacks highlights the dangers of both SMS spoofing and smishing, which are common techniques used by cybercriminals.
- Legitimate uses of SMS spoofing include bulk messaging for businesses and official communication from government agencies.
- To protect against SMS spoofing, users should be cautious of unsolicited messages and refrain from opening links or providing personal information.
- Reporting incidents of spoofing to mobile carriers and law enforcement can help mitigate the impact of these attacks in the future.
SMS spoofing involves altering sender information for fraudulent purposes, such as a phone number and contact name. A spoof text cannot be responded to or blocked. SMS spoofing is based entirely on impersonation.
You get a spoof text message from someone you believe to know, but something doesn’t seem right upon closer inspection. The name and mobile number are not identical to those in people’s contact lists; they are just similar.
Cybersecurity attacks are increasing rapidly. Phishing and spoofing were the most prevalent types of cybercrime reported to the U.S. Internet Crime Complaint Center in 2024, affecting nearly 193,000 people.
Interesting? Perhaps, yes. However thrilling as it sounds, this capability is unquestionably harmful when used incorrectly.
What Is SMS Spoofing?
SMS spoofing is a technique used to change the sender ID of a text message so that it appears to come from someone else (like a bank, business, or even a friend), not the actual sender.
In normal texting, the sender’s number (like a phone number or shortcode) is automatically attached by the mobile network. With SMS spoofing, a person or program sends the message through special software or gateways that let them manually set the sender’s name or number.
| Difference Between Spoofing and Regular Text Messaging | ||
| Feature | Regular Text Message | Spoofed Text Message |
| Sender ID | Set by your mobile carrier | Faked or custom-set by sender |
| Message Source | Real phone tied to the sender | Often sent through third-party tools |
| Purpose | Personal or business communication | Can be used for fraud, phishing, or marketing |
| Traceability | Easy to trace back to sender | Often difficult to track origin |
How Does SMS Spoofing Work?
You might think that SMS spoofing is a 21st-century issue, but you might be surprised to learn that its origins are believed to trace back many decades. An Egyptian commander named Sultan Baybars successfully took the powerful Krak des Chevaliers in 1271 by giving the besieged knights a counterfeit letter from their commander and ordering them to submit. In the end, the knights gave up and discovered that the letter was fake.
SMS spoofing works by disguising the real sender’s phone number in an SMS text message so that it appears to come from a different device. There are two ways to do this:
- You can send an SMS message from your victim’s phone to someone you want to communicate with. This will trick the recipient into thinking the message comes from someone you know, such as a friend or colleague.
- You can send an SMS message from another person’s phone number to someone you want to communicate with. This will also trick the recipient into thinking the message comes from someone else, such as a friend or colleague.
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Differences between SMS Spoofing and Smishing
SMS spoofing and smishing are two types of scams that use spoof text messages to obtain sensitive information from unsuspecting victims. They both rely on social engineering techniques but differ in how they target you.
SMS Spoofing
SMS spoofing occurs when a hacker sends an SMS message from an unrecognizable number. The message may appear to be from someone you know, or it could come from a company or organization you trust. These attacks aim to trick you into replying or clicking on a link that will download malware onto your phone or computer.
Smishing
Smishing attacks are similar to SMS spoofing, but hackers send out fake emails with malicious links embedded in them instead of using text messages. If you click on the link, it will either try to install malware on your device or take you to a phony website where you’ll be asked for personal information like credit card numbers and social security numbers.
Types of SMS Spoofing
There are many different types of SMS spoofing, including:
1. Fake Sender IDs
The most common type of spoofing is replacing the real sender ID with another number or name. This enables malicious actors to impersonate entities such as your bank or credit card company, deceiving you into divulging personal information or downloading harmful software. They can also spoof caller ID by making fake calls in addition to spoofing text messages.
2. Unsolicited Bulk Messages (UBMs)
UBMs are unsolicited texts that appear to come from someone you know but come from an unknown source. These messages might include links to malicious websites, phishing messages, and other scams designed to steal personal information from mobile devices.
3. Harassment
This type of SMS spoofing usually involves sending threatening or inappropriate messages to other people. Some harassers will use this method to try and extort money from their victims by threatening them with consequences if they don’t pay up.
4. Fake Money Transfers
This could involve sending an email that claims that you’ve won an award for you to transfer some money into an account so it can be given to charity, for example. Or it could be a more sinister kind of scam where hackers try to steal your personal information by claiming that you’ve won a prize but then ask for your bank details so they can deposit it into your account.
5. Corporate Espionage
In this attack, a hacker will send an SMS message to your mobile phone with a link to a malicious website. When you click on that link, it will redirect you to another site and steal your personal information and credentials, which the attacker can use to access company resources or steal money from you.
How to Protect Yourself From SMS Spoofing
To stay safe from SMS spoofing, follow these important tips:
- Don’t trust sender ID alone: A message may look like it’s from someone you know or a trusted company, but the sender ID can be faked.
- Avoid clicking links in unsolicited texts: Links in unexpected messages can lead to phishing sites or download malware.
- Use two-factor authentication apps instead of SMS: Authenticator apps provide stronger security than SMS codes, which can be intercepted.
- Report spoofing to carriers or authorities: Inform your mobile carrier or relevant authorities to help stop scammers and protect others.
- Install spam-filtering and anti-phishing tools: These tools help detect and block suspicious messages before they reach you.
Legitimate Uses of SMS Spoofing
The legitimate uses of SMS spoofing include bulk messaging services, official messages, and identity protection.
Bulk Messaging Services
SMS spoofing can send bulk messages to multiple recipients at once. This is particularly useful for businesses that want to use bulk SMS software to reach out to customers cost-effectively.
Official Messages
Government agencies also use SMS spoofing to send important notifications such as tax deadlines or warnings about natural disasters. When sending these messages, they must come from an official source so people know they’re legitimate and not scams.
Identity Protection
Companies like Equifax use this technology to protect their customers’ identities. Suppose someone tries calling or emailing you pretending to be from Equifax with a call-back number. In that case, you can easily verify whether or not it’s real by calling the number on your phone rather than putting in any personal information over the phone or the Internet.
What Should Users Do To Protect Themselves From SMS Spoofing?
- Be wary of any unsolicited text messages you receive on your mobile device, and do not open any links in those messages. If you open a link, make sure you visit the actual website it claims to be from by typing the URL into your browser. To ensure the authenticity of communications, implementing effective sender ID verification is crucial for establishing a secure connection between sender and recipient.
- Do not reply to text messages asking for personal information such as account numbers or passwords. If you receive one of these messages, delete it immediately without replying.
- Contact your mobile service provider if you receive an SMS message requesting money or personal information.
Conclusion
Nobody is completely secure against spoofing. You should always report scammers who harass you or use your number for spoofing to your carrier and police enforcement so they can find out where the messages originated. By doing this, SMS spoofing can be avoided in the future. To ensure that you won’t get another SMS from the scammer, you can use download SMS blockers.
Additionally, it’s necessary to be aware and guard against other spoofing risks, including email spoofing and direct domain spoofing assaults that could harm your reputation. Check out our comprehensive guide to email spoofing security to be safe from future attacks.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can you trace a spoofed SMS?
Tracing a spoofed SMS is often difficult because the sender disguises their real number using third-party tools, making it hard for carriers and authorities to identify the true origin.
Is spoofing the same as phishing?
No, spoofing is the act of faking the sender ID of a message, while phishing is a type of scam that tries to steal your personal information. Spoofing is often used as a technique within phishing attacks to make them more convincing.
Domain & Email Security Expert at PowerDMARC
Ahona is the Marketing Manager at PowerDMARC, with 5+ years of experience in writing about cybersecurity topics, specializing in domain and email security. Ahona holds a post-graduation degree in Journalism and Communications, solidifying her career in the security sector since 2019.
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