Tagged: texting

The Missouri Attorney General’s office is warning the public of a new scam that’s targeting smartphone and cellphone users.

The scam is known as "smishing," and it involves text messages telling recipients that they’ve won prizes or gift cards from big-name retailers such as Wal-Mart or Costco and instructs them to claim them by clicking on a link.  Attorney General Chris Koster (D) says clicking the link will infect phones with malware that gives identity thieves access to personal information.

In December, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that states ban drivers from using their cell phones in any way while operating a car.

In its report, the NTSB cited an Aug. 2010 accident that killed two people and injured at least 50 others. The crash took place on Interstate 44 near Gray Summit, Mo.