Smishing Campaign Targets California Taxpayers With Phony Refund Offers

The California Franchise Tax Board warns of an active smishing campaign that sends texts claiming recipients must provide payment information to claim tax refunds; the scam directs victims to fraudulent web pages (e.g., domains like ftb.ca-nt.cc) and uses urgency, requests for sensitive data, and foreign sender numbers to trick users. Malwarebytes and the FTB outline red flags and guidance to avoid the fraud.