SMS Scam Tricks: How Bad Guys Make Money From Your Phone Bill

Cyber‑security experts have found a new way that fraudsters trick people into sending dozens of text messages overseas, making the scammers money from phone companies. The scam began in June 2020 and uses fake “I am not a robot” tests that force users to text secret numbers. The messages go to 60 different phone lines in 17 countries, and each one costs the victim between a few cents and $30. A web page shows a fake CAPTCHA that says, “Send an SMS to confirm you are human. ” The page then opens the phone’s messaging app and automatically fills in a pre‑written message. After four steps, up to 60 texts are sent before the user finally sees a normal page.The fraud works because telecom operators pay extra fees to other networks for calls that come from overseas premium numbers. The scammers buy or steal these high‑cost numbers and split the money they earn from the termination charges. In addition to the text‑message scam, a separate tool called Keitaro is being misused. Attackers turn it into a traffic‑shuffling machine that hides malicious links, crypto theft sites and fake investment offers. Over 120 campaigns used Keitaro between October 2025 and January 2026, sending almost a quarter‑million DNS queries to hidden sites. Both tricks rely on tracking cookies and JavaScript tricks that keep people stuck on the fake page or redirect them to new scams. Victims often notice the extra charges only weeks later, making it hard for them to report or get refunds.