Study Finds Major Gaps in Brand Smishing Guidance

Global: Study Finds Major Gaps in Brand Smishing Guidance

Researchers analyzed the public-facing smishing education materials of 149 well‑known brands spanning 25 industry categories to assess how these companies inform customers about text‑message phishing. The investigation, posted to arXiv in January 2026, reveals that less than half of the brands define smishing, fewer than one percent provide video tutorials, and only half offer clear reporting instructions.

Methodology

The authors performed a systematic content analysis of each brand’s official website, mobile app, and social‑media channels, cataloguing the presence of definitions, prevention tips, and reporting mechanisms. The study categorizes the advice according to a predefined coding scheme and quantifies the frequency of each element across the sample.

Key Findings

Overall, 46% of the brands mentioned a definition of smishing, while 54% omitted it entirely. Instructional videos were observed for just 0.7% of the brands. Reporting guidance was provided by 50% of the sample, leaving the other half without explicit directions for victims.

Industry Variations

Advice differed markedly between sectors. Some financial services recommended “ignoring suspicious messages,” a strategy that security experts consider ineffective. Conversely, a handful of technology firms offered multi‑step verification prompts, though these were not uniformly described.

Implications for Consumers

The inconsistent messaging may hinder consumer ability to recognize and respond to smishing attempts, potentially increasing exposure to fraud. Gaps in definition and reporting instructions limit the usefulness of brand‑issued guidance as a defensive tool.

Recommendations for Brands

The authors suggest adopting standardized terminology, incorporating concise video tutorials, and publishing clear, actionable reporting procedures. Aligning advice with best‑practice frameworks from cybersecurity authorities could improve overall effectiveness.

Conclusion

This baseline assessment highlights substantial room for improvement in how brands educate users about smishing. Standardization and richer instructional content are positioned as critical steps toward strengthening public resilience against text‑based phishing attacks.

This report is based on information from arXiv, licensed under Academic Preprint / Open Access. Based on the abstract of the research paper. Full text available via ArXiv.