[Glossary](https://pecuvo.eu/en/glossary/) · Fraud and security # SMS scam (smishing) **In short:** smishing is phishing by text message or chat app — a short message with a link that gets you to pay a small sum or enter your card details on a fake page. **Simply put:** The messages often come from a "courier" ("your parcel is waiting, pay €1.99"), a "bank" or an "authority". The small sum is the bait — the real target is your card details and the confirmation code, which are then used for much larger payments. **Example:** A text: "Your parcel is on hold. Pay a €1.99 fee here." You are not expecting a parcel. You don't click; you check on the courier's website, which you open yourself. **Watch out:** the sender of a text can appear under the name of a real company — the name alone proves nothing. **What to do:** don't open links in unexpected texts. If you entered card details — block the card at once and call your bank. A code you didn't ask for is never entered anywhere. **Source:** ENISA — Threat Landscape: Finance Sector (2025): https://www.enisa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2025-02/Finance%20TL%202024_Final.pdf · Europol — Online fraud schemes: https://www.europol.europa.eu/crime-areas/online-fraud-schemes ## In depth in the modules - [Module 28](https://pecuvo.eu/en/modules/digital-finance-and-security/) - [Module 17](https://pecuvo.eu/en/modules/fraud-pyramids-and-getting-rich-quick/) - [Module 21](https://pecuvo.eu/en/modules/payments-and-purchases/) ## Related terms - [Phishing](https://pecuvo.eu/en/glossary/phishing/) - [Phone scam (fake bank employee)](https://pecuvo.eu/en/glossary/phone-scam/) - [Two-factor authentication](https://pecuvo.eu/en/glossary/two-factor-authentication/) - [Blocking a card](https://pecuvo.eu/en/glossary/blocking-a-card/) - [Reporting fraud](https://pecuvo.eu/en/glossary/reporting-fraud/)