Investigating Worldwide SMS Scams, and Tens of Millions of Dollars in Fraud

Bitdefender examined global SMS phishing activity from September to early December, finding widespread, localized scam campaigns centered on package delivery, banking, government/tax, streaming-account issues, and fake prizes, with notably high volumes in the Americas and parts of Europe. The report estimates at least $40M in victim losses over three months, highlights regional trends (e.g., political spam in the U.S., casino/betting in Turkey), and offers basic guidance to recognize urgent, credential-harvesting SMS lures.