What is It & How to Stop SMS Attacks? 2024

You have probably heard about hotel bombings and school bombings, but have you ever heard of SMS bombings? Yep, you read that right—SMS bombing!

SMS bombing hits your phone with a large number of text messages all at once, making it feel like your phone just exploded with texts.

What’s the issue with this, you ask? Well, SMS bombing is as threatening to your phone as a real bomb is to your peace of mind. It’s not just annoying; it’s a serious threat.

To explore further, read the blog to learn about what is SMS bombing, how it works, its types, dangers, ways to stop it, and the methods for finding who is SMS bombing. 

What is SMS Bombing?

SMS bombing is a type of cyberattack. In this type of attack, your phone will continuously receive bulk messages within a few hours, disturbing its normal function and irritating you with constant alerts. 

To understand better, read the example: Suppose your friend’s phone is flooded with constant notifications from an SMS app. When the app is open, you see bulk OTP text messages from various sites. What is shocking is that your friend has not signed up for such sites, and the phone completely loses its functionality. This is what SMS bombing looks like. 

It can be regarded as a small-scale Denial of Service (DoS) attack. SMS bomber, the person who initiates the attacks, sends large volumes of messages to one or multiple phone numbers. Note that this attack occurs through phone numbers. Most of the time, a single individual’s number is targeted with the intention of taking revenge, harassing, or simply annoying them.

Bombitup.net, Text Bomber, Smsbomber.online, and Callbomberz.in are some SMS bombing apps and sites for pranking your close one. SMS bombing might be done as a prank, but you must know that this type of attack comes under cyberbullying. It is a criminal attack with the intention of serious harassment and is punishable by law enforcement.

How Does SMS Bombing Work?

SMS bombing has a simple working mechanism. Its attack is done just like any other cyberattack. For every cyberattack, there has to be a vulnerable point, and communication API (Application Programming Interface) is the weak point every SMS bomber is looking for. Communication API is the medium through which different applications interact with each other or the system itself. 

To use a new website or application, you first need to log in with a username and password. After that, those sites or apps will send you OTP confirmation code with the help of the APIs. Most such sites and applications do not care much about API security. Thus, the SMS bombers will use this point to launch attacks. They will send the request to the company’s API and without confirming its authenticity, those API will send text messages to the given phone numbers. 

Various applications and websites are currently available in the market that claim to provide SMS bombing service with some service charge just for fun. They are easy to use. You just have to open their interface and input your targeted Phone Number along with a customized message if you have one, and then it will send the bulk messages to the victim’s phone. 

Remember you must be careful while using such sites as you might end up in some bad situation. 

Types of SMS Bombing

1. Random SMS Bombing

Sometimes, people get bored and decide to try something a little wild—like pranking their friends with a flood of text messages. They come across sites like SMS Bombers, which promises to blast a chosen phone number by sending text messages just for laughs.

But before they prank a friend, they might want to see if it actually works. So, what do they do? They pick a random number, maybe even yours, and set the SMS bomber in motion. Suddenly, someone’s phone is buzzing like crazy, and they have no idea why. This kind of unplanned chaos is known as random SMS bombing.  

2. Targeted SMS Bombing

A targeted SMS bombing is an SMS bombing in which the attacker has already set the target. Within a few hours, the targeted individual’s phone will be flooded with persistent notification alerts, and the phone will eventually lose its communication channels. The SMS bomber might carry out this attack to annoy you or to take revenge against you.

For this, the attacker will first acquire your phone number and then launch an attack using vulnerable APIs. While this can be taken as a prank, it can have a huge impact on the victim’s phone. The good thing is law enforcement authorities can easily trace the IP address and arrest such criminals.           

3. Automated SMS Bombing

Automated SMS bombing is a type of SMS bombing in which bulk SMS is sent to one or multiple target phones in the stated time frame without human intervention. An automatic mechanism is set up to launch this type of attack. 

This type of attack is performed using software or tools that operate with the help of scripts. The scripts contain code that can automatically send thousands or even lakhs of text messages and overwhelm the victims. 

4. Phishing SMS Bombing

With the high use of the internet, phishing has become a common issue. Phishing SMS bombing is when someone floods your phone with a ton of texts, each containing some sneaky, deceptive content.

In this kind of attack, you get bombarded with messages. When you open one and follow the instructions, you might end up handing over sensitive information without even realizing it. That info is then stolen and used for all sorts of criminal activities. This type of attack is truly malicious and deserves serious action from law enforcement.

The Dangers of SMS Bombing

Now that you have an idea about SMS bombing and its type read further to learn about its potential dangers. The dangers of SMS bombing are:

Data Breaches and Identity Theft

When your phone number receives a high volume of text messages, you may click on one that might have phishing content. Phishing content cloaks the identity of legitimate websites, leading users to reveal their confidential information.

Once your sensitive information is revealed to the SMS bombers, you are never secure in the digital world. Your information will be for sale on the dark web. The attackers (identity thieves) will use your information to blackmail you and exploit it for various malicious activities. 

Financial Loss

SMS bombing isn’t just an annoyance—it can lead to serious financial trouble. Often, these attacks are designed to extort money. The SMS bombers will flood your phone with threatening messages, demanding that you pay up or face the risk of having your personal information exposed online.

They can further warn you not to inform the police; otherwise, there will be much worse consequences. With these threats from the SMS bombers, you will be forced to send them the ransom money, which will direct hit your wallet. 

Psychological Impact

Another danger of SMS bombing is the psychological impact. Imagine suddenly receiving large volumes of messages in a matter of hours from sites you have never known about. It would be a moment of panic. 

Your brain will just center around what is happening, how it is happening, and why it is happening. But there will be no answers to your queries, just the continued torture. Your phone connection will eventually be disrupted. And if you are alone, your mental health will be impacted a lot. SMS bombing attacks will leave a psychological shadow on your mind and will cause serious mental problems. 

Disruption of Operations

SMS bombing attacks can happen at any time and to anyone. There is no fixed time when it might occur. SMS bombers can launch an attack when you are in the middle of an important business call. And your phone will continuously vibrate with incoming text messages. 

You may ignore it, thinking it is simply a spam message that, when not opened, could not do any harm, but you are wrong. An SMS bombing attack will disrupt your phone operations. Your phone’s communication will be disconnected, and it will malfunction. 

Damage to Reputation

While SMS bombing attacks sound fun, if you get caught, there are serious consequences. Police can track your IP address, and you will be arrested under cybercrime or harassment law.

When people see you being escorted to the police van with a handcuff, then your reputation will be severely damaged. You will forever have a criminal record and miss out on good things in life. Not only you but your family will also have to bear the stigma you have left behind. So, you must think twice before launching an SMS bombing attack. 

Legal Implications

If you are arrested for an SMS bombing attack, your case will not end simply with your arrest. You will have to face legal consequences. First, your crime will be judged based on the complaint filed, and you will have to spend a few nights in jail. 

In some cases, you may get free after paying the penalty fee and apologizing to the victim while promising never to commit such a crime ever again. But if the victims have suffered a lot, then you will be forever known as a criminal.

How to Stop SMS Bombing?

Afraid of your information getting exposed? Then, you must learn how to stop SMS bombing. While you cannot completely prevent this crime, we have listed some security measures you can apply to protect yourself from great harm.

The ways to stop SMS bombing are:

1. Avoid Sharing Personal Information Online

The Internet is the home of people all around the globe. Millions of internet users are active online, and you may encounter some people who want to make friends with you. They might want to know you in-depth and ask you personal questions.

You might be tempted to answer them, but be cautious of such conversations. Not everyone on the internet is as innocent as they portray. You must never share your personal information on messaging apps; otherwise, you will encounter cyberattacks such as SMS bombings. 

2. Be Cautious of Suspicious Links

While browsing the internet, various links are available that will take us to different websites. Some links look normal, but they can lead to dangerous viruses infecting our system. Once your system is infected, recovering your system data can be challenging. 

You must be cautious of such suspicious links. You should always avoid opening links from unknown sources. Further, you should install anti-virus software to filter different sites and protect yourself from malicious attacks. 

3. Use Strong Passwords

Another method to stop SMS bombing is to use strong passwords. Passwords are the key to your information, and many attackers launch attacks just by finding vulnerabilities in passwords.  

You must not put your pet name or common name as your password. Also, you must not use the same password for various sites. Use passwords that are easy to remember but difficult to figure out. Along with alphabets and numbers, you must make use of the special characters and protect yourself from being the victim of the SMS bombing attack. 

4. Recognizing Signs of SMS Bombing

The better way to stop SMS bombing is by recognizing signs of SMS bombing. For that, you must be aware of what SMS bombing is and how it works. If you know about SMS bombing, then you can easily protect yourself from such cyberattacks by following safety measures.

You should be alert when your phone vibrates with high volumes of text messages from unknown sites. You must not panic but rather calm down and consider possible security measures you can take to protect yourself. 

5. Blocking Unwanted Numbers

If you receive calls or messages from unwanted numbers, you must block them right away. Every smartphone has a call blocking feature that will prevent unwanted callers from disturbing you. 

Blocking unwanted numbers helps to stop SMS bombing, as you will not receive any more messages from those numbers. So, you must make good use of the call block feature and prevent yourself from being the victim of the SMS bombing attack.

6. Reporting Incidents

One of the best ways to stop SMS bombings is to report the incidents to the local authorities. The local authorities will record your statement and help you find the victim by tracking down the IP address they used to send you those messages. 

Your complaint will not only help you but many others who might be the attracker’s next prey. The law enforcement authorities will try their best to give justice and punish those attackers with strict laws. 

How to Know Who is SMS Bombing?

It is very difficult to determine who is responsible for the SMS bombing. However, you can follow the steps given below to find the SMS bomber’s identity.

1. Try to look at the text message’s title to see if the attacker has revealed something. 
2. You can contact your phone number carrier and request them to reveal the message sender’s identity.
3. You can download anti-spam filter apps available on the market that will show the identity of the sender. 
4. If the attacker is persistent and is constantly harassing you, then you must file a complaint to the legal bodies. They will help you find out who the SMS bomber is and take legal action against those SMS bombers. 

Conclusion

SMS bombing, a prank used to annoy your relatives and friends, is not just a fun activity. It is a serious cybercrime that might have a serious impact on someone’s mental health. 

Understanding SMS bombing will help you be aware of its potential dangers. To prevent being a victim of SMS bombers, you can take security measures such as avoiding sharing personal information on the Internet, using strong passwords, reporting incidents, and being cautious of suspicious links. Likewise, you should install anti-spam filter apps and protect yourself from SMS bombing attacks.

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