The FBI has warned 150 million Apple users to be cautious of a specific type of message. These messages are sent out by Chinese criminal gangs to hack into phones. Even though Android users are also vulnerable to cyberattacks, Apple users are more so.
The FBI has issued a warning in light of the increased SMS phishing attacks, also known as smishing. The attacks are made by organized Chinese criminal gangs that operate remotely. These gangs manage to tap into databases that provide them with phone numbers across several countries and domains.
The messages that the FBI is advising citizens to delete are messages related to links to pay outstanding bills and fines, as per Forbes. The messages the agency is issuing warnings about often come masked as DMV traffic offenses or unpaid tolls reminders.
These types of messages often cause people to panic and press the link that accompanies them. The panic-induced actions are exactly what these gangs are counting on to hack into your phones. A newer smshing scam could include gangs mimicking banks or credit card companies in order to target vulnerable individuals.
Several reports have advised deleting these messages as soon as they hit your inbox. Apple and Android users are asked to be equally cautious when it comes to smishing scams.
Residents are urged to delete and report any text message claiming to be from the Alaska DMV asking for payment for outstanding traffic tickets. This is a scam. Complaints can be reported to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center. https://t.co/zBfMlMI4tk pic.twitter.com/cZ0rV64Sow
— Alaska State Troopers (@akstatetrooper) June 19, 2025
“Attribution is tentative but compelling. The use of Chinese SOA contacts, Chinese DNS providers, Chinese-language comments in source code, and uniform hosting behavior all point toward a threat actor operating out of China,” Check Point warns regarding the scam.
The warning continues, “The infrastructure aligns with known patterns of low-cost, high-volume phishing-as-a-service operations often advertised on Chinese-language cybercrime forums.”
These scams have found a way around the spam detection that IOS and Android both provide. The messages land in your inbox despite the network filtering being at work.
Reportedly, these cybercriminal gangs prefer iMessages over SMS. Individuals are often baited by being urged, “Please reply with ‘Y’” to these messages. These messages have seen an 800% surge in the first week of June.
The #FBI Memphis Resident Agency spoke with @3onyourside about the flurry of scam texts and calls that are targeting consumers under the guise of government agencies: https://t.co/JcuWofDv2X
— FBI Nashville (@FBI_Nashville) June 11, 2025
Florida is now seeing a surge in messages that are specifically targeting motorists. The FBI is “reporting a significant increase in these attacks, [which are] now more refined and convincing than in the past.”
People in Georgia, Virginia, and Iowa have also seen an increased number of these messages. “The scammers are up to their old tricks again. And finding new people to target each time,” Iowa’s DOT notes. The agency reminded citizens that it never contacts citizens through SMS to collect dues or send fee collection updates.
