SMS from a bank, tax office, or about a fine? It may not be what it seems

You receive a message from an unknown number. It informs you of suspicious activity on your account, warns of unpaid debts, or delivers a “final notice” about an administrative fine that’s supposedly payable today only with a discount.

The link in the message looks familiar — almost genuine — but may include tiny symbol changes that are easy to miss.

At first glance, everything looks convincing:

• a well-known organization name
• an urgent message
• an “official” link

In reality, it’s a phishing attempt. The site is fake, and your data ends up in the hands of scammers. You enter your login, password, or card details — and hand over access to your accounts or money.

❗️It’s all designed to trigger panic.

Messages like these appear to come from trusted institutions, which makes you more likely to react emotionally and act without thinking.

What should you do in the first minute?

If the SMS comes from an unknown number, check it in NumBuster — especially if the message contains a link. Many such numbers are already flagged by other users for fraud, spam, or suspicious activity.

By enabling NumBuster’s built-in SMS manager, you gain extra protection. The app automatically detects and filters out potentially dangerous messages.