Smishing (SMS) and Vishing (Calls)
Phishing by SMS and phone calls
Smishing is phishing by text message, and vishing is its phone call version; both take advantage of the fact that people tend to lower their guard outside of email, where there's already more of a habit of being suspicious. An SMS announcing a held package with a "customs payment" link, or a call from a supposed bank agent warning about a suspicious charge and asking you to confirm a code, are typical examples of each technique. These channels create a sense of immediacy and personalization that's hard to replicate by email, which makes them especially effective. No legitimate entity, whether a bank, customs or technical support, will ask for passwords, verification codes or your full card number by phone or text message; when in doubt, the right thing is to hang up and call back an official number you've verified yourself.