Next-generation SMS attacks: how fraudsters replace messages and what to do about it

The same number. Same message thread. Different intentions. Despite the emergence of hundreds of modern authentication apps, SMS remains the primary way for millions of users to confirm transactions. Fraudsters have learned how to embed fake SMS in the same chat rooms where you receive official notifications from banks or exchanges.

In Ukraine, such cases are becoming more and more frequent: message spoofing has become one of the most common schemes to deceive users in recent months. Our customer support team has recorded more than one appeal regarding this problem. The messages look familiar, trustworthy, and even come under a branded name. But behind them is someone else's pocket.

Why it is dangerous

SMS spoofing is a technique where fraudsters send messages on behalf of someone else. The phone does not distinguish between the real and the fake and combines everything into one branch. As a result, the user sees a fake SMS next to official notifications – from a bank, mobile operator, or online service – and believes it to be authentic. Then everything happens according to the scenario: a call to a hotline, data entry, or money transfer.