iOS Messages preview hides link domains vital to spot phishing

I recently got an SMS phishing message, and the preview looked like this:

User uploaded file


The way the domain is truncated, it looks as though it could end in "gov.uk" - which would indicate a genuine SMS (from the UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency).


It was not at all easy to determine what the real domain was, without tapping the link. I had to go through quite some acrobatics: exit the "conversation" to the top-level menu (where conversations from different senders are shown), and then rotate the phone into landscape mode:


User uploaded file


Eventually the full domain is shown. And obviously it's a phish.


So the question is, why doesn't the Messages preview show the END of the domain i.e. "...dvla.dam3.pw", rather than the BEGINNING "tax-disc.gov.u..."?


Users might not be great at spotting phishes, but at least give them a chance!

iPhone 5s, iOS 10.2.1, null

Posted on Mar 18, 2017 10:24 AM

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iOS Messages preview hides link domains vital to spot phishing

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