Although scrolling through texts from an unknown number is pretty fun, receiving one may be really dangerous. If you have never heard of smishing (or the ‘SMS phishing’), pull your seat closer. It’s a fraudulent practice of sending text messages purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords or credit card numbers. It’s basically a cybersecurity attack carried out over mobile text messaging, so it’s far from innocent.

In order to find out more about what to do if you receive a text from an unknown number, we reached out to Daniel Markuson, a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN who shared some very useful insights and tips. First off, if you ever receive a text message from an unknown number, Daniel warns not to reply to it if you’re not sure if it’s legit. “Ignore it, even if it asks you to reply to prevent further messages. When you respond, you indicate to scammers that you have an active phone number. You will then likely receive a follow-up message.”

Another tip from Daniel is always to use common sense. “Do not click on any links. Do not transfer money or enter your personal data. Don’t download any apps from links in text messages,” he said. Sometimes, however, you may not be entirely sure if the message from an unknown number is safe or not. “When it is not possible to be 100% sure if the message is safe using common sense, I recommend just ignoring it,” Daniel said.

There are also some red flags to look for in a smishing text. Urgency is one. “Smishing messages will prompt you to act quickly. They want you to act before you have time to think or generate doubt about the message’s legitimacy.” Secondly, if it contains sensitive requests, the chances it’s a smishing message are really high. “Most legitimate companies take pains to clarify that they will never ask you for your password or credit card info in a message. However, hackers may send you to a false link to enter your personal or credit card data, transfer money, or log in to an account,” Daniel explained.

Odd phone numbers are also a red flag. “If you notice an odd number (e.g., '5000' or similar), that can be another warning. It is usually an indication of an email sent as a text message. Cybercriminals like this technique, but legitimate senders could use it as well.” A message that has a link is also best ignored. “The message may include an odd or shortened link that looks legitimate but isn’t,” Daniel said. Other flags include grammar mistakes and unbelievable offers. If it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t!

When asked how harmful opening or pressing a link in an unknown text message really is, the cybersecurity expert said that “clicking harmful links can lead to malware being downloaded, which in turn can affect applications on your smartphone and help hackers snoop on you.”

Daniel added: “Other links can ask you to fill in a form with your personal information, which legitimate companies would never ask for. That information (like personal or credit card data or your address) can later be used against you by the cybercriminal.”

It turns out that usually, criminals try to guess numbers randomly, Daniel said and added that “there is not a lot a person can do. However, it is necessary to be cautious when you receive messages to avoid being affected by a smishing attack (SMS phishing),” he concluded.