A new wave of SMS text phishing messages (SMiShing) is being sent to NJ residents and those in other states nationwide. Like previous SMiShing campaigns referencing motor vehicle violations and toll fees, these text messages impersonate the New Jersey Department of the Treasury’s Division of Taxation and claim that a refund request was processed and approved. The user is requested to provide payment information so funds can be deposited, and failure to provide the payment information will result in forfeiture of the funds. The URL provided in the message likely leads to a webpage using stolen branding from the Division of Taxation and requesting financial account details.

Text scam received by a NJ resident.

These messages employ tactics similar to previous campaigns, where the user is instructed to “Reply ‘Y’” before clicking the link, a step intended to bypass security features. On iPhones, for instance, messages from unknown senders have clickable links disabled by default. Therefore, the threat actors activate the hyperlink by convincing the user to reply “Y” and reopen the message. This ploy and sending messages via iMessage or RCS (internet-based messaging) help the threat actors evade carrier SMS spam filters. The text sender IDs are often foreign phone numbers (e.g., Philippines, Canada, United Kingdom, etc.) or seemingly random email addresses, indicating that the text message is likely fraudulent.

A similar text message received by an Ohio resident.

Recommendations

• Identify red flags, such as unexpected requests for personal information, suspicious links, or urgent requests to take action.
• Forward the scam text message to your carrier’s spam reporting service (often 7726).
• Report these types of scams to the NJCCIC, IC3, and FTC. 
• Block the number: Block the sender’s number to prevent further unwanted messages.
• If you are unsure about the authenticity of a text message, contact the organization or individual mentioned in the message directly using their official phone number to verify the information and request.
• Be cautious of spoofed numbers, as scammers can disguise their phone numbers to appear as a trusted source.
• Share information about SMS scams to help others stay safe.
• Review the SMiShing at Scale: A Deep Dive into Toll Violation Text Scams NJCCIC post for further information on these types of schemes.