A new mass smishing campaign, dubbed 'Operation Road Trap,' has been identified by Bitdefender Labs, comprising tens of thousands of fraudulent texts targeting mobile users across 12 countries. Scammers impersonate transport authorities and toll operators, aiming to trick recipients into paying fake fines or providing sensitive information. Since December 2025, over 79,000 fraudulent messages have been detected with more than 31,900 different URLs involved.
The tactics used include urgency, threats of legal consequences, and misleading URLs. Victims are directed to counterfeit payment sites or malware downloads. The campaign is ongoing, with messages appearing in multiple languages and across diverse regions.