Dr Pieter Streicher is MD of BulkSMS.com

The latest incarnation of SMS fraud goes beyond the messages you send and receive from the inbox on your phone. Now, criminals and unethical developers are using premium-rated SMSes to defraud people via the mobile applications they download.

Customers should diligently check their phone bills for any unusual amounts being deducted. It is also advisable to read the comments left by other people in the mobile app stores and only download the more popular applications. Other types of SMS fraud to watch out for include:

1. Phishing scams

Criminals abuse a bank’s SMS security features in order to get confidential information. A fake confirmation SMS is sent and the recipient, thinking someone has accessed their bank account, immediately calls the number on the SMS to report the activity. The number is of course false and the fraudster takes the opportunity to get bank account details and even PINs.

2. False payment confirmations

Someone sends a hoax payment confirmation by SMS that appears to come from your bank. You believe the person has paid you for whatever you are selling, and let them have the goods, only to find out the money hasn’t been transferred at all.

3. SIM swaps

The fraudster already has your cellphone number and can get enough additional information to request a SIM swap from your network operator. They then have access to both your bank account details and the SIM card needed to complete transactions.

4. Subscription services

Cellphone users need to be aware that unscrupulous WASPs can bill any South African cell number and can even detect and record your cellphone number if you browse to their Web sites using your cellphone. Unlike the desktop Internet where credit card numbers need to be entered and orders need to be confirmed, on a mobile device all that is needed to bill you is your cellphone number. Above all, always be sceptical of everything – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.