Surfshark takes aim at the smishing epidemic with new real-time scam text protection

Surfshark unveils scam text protection against SMS-based phishing The AI-driven tool screens texts in real time on iOS and Android The feature is available for Surfshark One and Surfshark One+ subscribers If your phone is constantly buzzing with suspicious package delivery updates or urgent bank ale

<![CDATA[ <article> <ul><li><strong>Surfshark unveils scam text protection against SMS-based phishing</strong></li><li><strong>The AI-driven tool screens texts in real time on iOS and Android</strong></li><li><strong>The feature is available for Surfshark One and Surfshark One+ subscribers</strong></li></ul><p>If your phone is constantly buzzing with suspicious package delivery updates or urgent bank alerts, you aren't alone. Americans received an average of <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/03/13/nx-s1-5326090/dont-click-here-to-pay-your-tolls-how-you-can-stop-spam-texts-smishing" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">19.2 billion spam texts</a> per month in late 2023, a near-threefold increase since 2021. To tackle this growing epidemic, one of the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/vpn/best-vpn">best VPN</a> providers on the market, <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/surfshark">Surfshark</a>, has launched a dedicated real-time tool to fight back against SMS fraud.</p><p>Following the company's recent decision to <a href="https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-services/surfshark-pulls-the-plug-on-search-as-it-shifts-focus-to-fighting-scams">shift its focus to fighting scams</a>, the new <a href="https://bit.ly/45Wlght" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">scam text protection</a> feature is designed to safeguard mobile users from "smishing" (SMS phishing). Using AI-driven technology, the tool screens incoming messages to detect dangerous URLs, suspicious sender numbers, and fraudulent content before you can accidentally click on them.</p><p>With SMS scams now accounting for 35% of all phishing attempts globally, blocking these threats at the source is becoming essential for mobile security.</p><p>“Recently, we have introduced a <a href="https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-services/surfshark-launches-new-antiscam-hub-for-ios-users-rolling-5-security-features-into-a-single-in-app-experience">scam protection hub</a>, a unified space to make it easier for users to defend against modern, human-centric cyberthreats like scams, phishing, or identity fraud," explained Dominykas Simkus, Senior Product Manager at Surfshark. "Scam text protection is our newest feature to be introduced to face these online threats and help users fight increasingly sophisticated SMS-based scams.”</p><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="15c560a4-96fa-11f1-9081-07b1e6630ce4" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Surfshark &ndash; the best cheap VPNSurfshark is a fast, easy-to-use VPN that seriously beats the competition when it comes to subscription pricing. Its two-year Starter plan works out at $2.49 a month (plus tax), but we think Surfshark One is the best value plan as it adds an antivirus, data breach monitor, alternative ID, and now new anti-scam tools. All of this starting from the equivalent of just $2.79 a month. Surfshark – the best cheap VPN" data-dimension48="Surfshark &ndash; the best cheap VPNSurfshark is a fast, easy-to-use VPN that seriously beats the competition when it comes to subscription pricing. 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Its two-year Starter plan works out at $2.49 a month (plus tax), but we think Surfshark One is the best value plan as it adds an antivirus, data breach monitor, alternative ID, and now new anti-scam tools. All of this starting from the equivalent of just $2.79 a month. Surfshark – the best cheap VPN" data-dimension48="Surfshark &ndash; the best cheap VPNSurfshark is a fast, easy-to-use VPN that seriously beats the competition when it comes to subscription pricing. Its two-year Starter plan works out at $2.49 a month (plus tax), but we think Surfshark One is the best value plan as it adds an antivirus, data breach monitor, alternative ID, and now new anti-scam tools. All of this starting from the equivalent of just $2.79 a month. Surfshark – the best cheap VPN" data-dimension25=""><strong>Surfshark – the best cheap VPN</strong></a><strong></strong><br>Surfshark is a fast, easy-to-use VPN that seriously beats the competition when it comes to subscription pricing. Its two-year Starter plan works out at $2.49 a month<strong> </strong>(plus tax), but we think Surfshark One is the best value plan as it adds an antivirus, data breach monitor, alternative ID, and now new anti-scam tools. All of this starting from the equivalent of just $2.79 a month. <a class="view-deal button" href="https://get.surfshark.net/aff_c?offer_id=1030&aff_id=1691&url_id=2561" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="15c560a4-96fa-11f1-9081-07b1e6630ce4" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Surfshark &ndash; the best cheap VPNSurfshark is a fast, easy-to-use VPN that seriously beats the competition when it comes to subscription pricing. Its two-year Starter plan works out at $2.49 a month (plus tax), but we think Surfshark One is the best value plan as it adds an antivirus, data breach monitor, alternative ID, and now new anti-scam tools. All of this starting from the equivalent of just $2.79 a month. 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You won't even receive a notification, effectively removing the temptation to open the message.</p><p>On <strong>Android</strong>, the approach is more transparent. Users receive a warning notification from Surfshark alerting them to a detected scam. Clicking the notification opens the message in a controlled, risk-free environment within the Surfshark app, allowing you to examine the contents safely without accidentally triggering a malicious link.</p><p>Users also gain access to an in-app dashboard detailing their blocked suspicious messages. In a unique addition for US citizens, the dashboard even calculates an estimate of how much money they likely saved by avoiding each fraudulent text.</p><iframe allow="" height="668" width="504" id="" style="" class="position-center" data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:share:7493274511404875776?collapsed=1"></iframe><p>For those worried about privacy, Surfshark explicitly states that the feature does not retain your messages, monitor your phone generally, or use any private data to train its AI models.</p><p>"While traditional cybersecurity focuses on <a href="https://www.techradar.com/news/what-is-malware-and-how-dangerous-is-it">malware</a> and hacking, modern scams increasingly target human behavior through social engineering techniques that exploit trust, urgency, and exposed personal data," said Simkus, explaining that SMS-based sophisticated scams are very difficult to spot.</p><p>"Our tool is built to spot mistakes or suspicious patterns in order to avoid any interaction with bad actors," Simkus added.</p><p>The Scam text protection feature is rolling out now for users subscribed to the premium <a href="https://www.techradar.com/vpn/surfshark-one-review">Surfshark One</a> and <a href="https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-services/which-surfshark-vpn-plan-should-i-choose-starter-one-or-one-plus">Surfshark One+</a> plans. To get immediate access, Surfshark recommends manually updating your app via the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.</p> </article> ]]>