Chase Bank has issued an urgent warning to its customers in the United States about a dangerous phishing variant known as smishing. This type of fraud uses text messages (SMS) to trick users and obtain their personal or financial information.
The speed with which people respond to SMS, combined with the sophistication of scammers, has increased the risk of falling for these traps. Be very careful for your own good.
Urgent warning from Chase Bank: beware of smishing, this is how it works
Smishing combines "SMS" and "phishing." Scammers send messages that appear to be from legitimate institutions, such as Chase Bank, alerting about suspicious activities on the user's account.
These messages usually include fake links or phone numbers that redirect to fraudulent websites or lines operated by the criminals themselves. Once the user provides their information, scammers can access their accounts and make unauthorized transactions.
Recent cases and modus operandi: Chase Bank issues a serious warning
In Ohio, a pregnant woman lost more than $15,000 after receiving an SMS that seemed to be from Chase, followed by a call from someone posing as an investigator. They pressured her to change her login information while the scammers made transfers from her account.
In another case in New York, a 77-year-old woman was deceived by a scammer who showed up at her home, claiming to be a Chase representative, and stole $15,500 from her.
SMS have a 98% open rate within the first few minutes, making them an effective tool for scammers. In addition, techniques such as "spoofing" allow messages to appear as if they come from official bank numbers, increasing the credibility of the fraud.
Risks of responding without thinking: never do it
A simple click on a link or providing personal information can result in identity theft, loss of funds, and unauthorized access to bank accounts. Scammers can even use legitimate authentication codes sent by the bank if the user inadvertently provides them.
Do not respond to messages requesting personal or financial information and do not click on links or call numbers provided in suspicious messages. Verify any alert by contacting the bank directly through official channels.
In addition, enable two-factor authentication on your accounts and keep your security software updated on your devices. Chase Bank recommends that its customers stay alert for grammatical errors, unusual requests, and irregular formats in messages. If you receive a suspicious message, do not respond and report it to phishing@chase.com.