14 DAY TRIAL // Experts warn that there’s a new SMS spam campaign making the rounds, trying to lure users to a shady website by promising them a free gift from Apple.
Symantec researchers explain that it starts with an SMS message which informs the recipient that they’ve won a prize.
Users who click on the link from the SMS are taken to a site where they’re informed that they can win an iPhone 5 if they enter the “winning code” they’ve received in the text message.
After entering the code, the victim is directed to various marketing sites via an advertisement network. This allows the crooks to make a profit each time someone falls for their trap.
Users are advised not to click on the links contained in such SMS messages because they not only help cybercriminals in making a profit, but they’re also confirming to them that the phone number they’ve sent the bogus text to is valid.
The example site provided by Symantec is the Belgian version, but the scammy messages have been seen in various countries.