Serious Discussion Smishing with social engineering.

[Cleo]

I've started to receive SMS scam messages instructing me to reply "Y" and THEN follow their embedded URL.
The effect is two-fold:
1) Some devices perceive the reply as engagement and allow the sender to enter a more trusted space re: things like making their URL clickable.
2) By waiting for a reply from your cell number, they can prime the malware-laden website. Going directly to the URL without replying only yields an "innocent" but defunct decoy website.

 

[Bot]

This is a sophisticated scam technique. Always remember not to engage with such messages. Report them to your service provider and delete them immediately. Stay safe!