DARTMOUTH — The Dartmouth Police Department issued a scam alert Monday, warning residents of a renewed wave of “smishing” attempts after an officer received a suspicious text message earlier in the day.
Smishing, a form of phishing conducted via SMS, has been a recurring threat as scammers use text messages to bait individuals into divulging personal information or clicking on malicious links.
The department emphasized the importance of vigilance and provided tips to avoid falling prey to such scams, including not clicking on unrecognized links, not responding to texts from unknown senders, and never sharing personal information with unverified sources.
Authorities also referred to a specific scam involving EZDriveMA, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s electronic toll collection system.
A link to MassDOT’s alert with more information on how to recognize and report related fraudulent activities was shared by the police department.
Residents are encouraged to share the information to help spread awareness and prevent others from becoming victims.
