
Nearly one million people fell for a scam message or phone call over a three-month period last autumn, according to communications watchdog Ofcom. People have surrendered information including bank account passwords and suffered huge losses. Often, they impersonate bank staff or even police officers over the phone to trick a victim into transferring money.ĭetails gleaned at an earlier stage of the fraud give scammers' lies an air of credibility and by the time victims realise it all began with a suspicious text, it's too late.Īround seven million adults receive more than ten scam texts a month, according to research companies Electoral Calculus and Find Out Now.Īnd for a significant minority, the effects can be devastating.

Or they will use a fake webpage to ask for personal details, such as your age and home address. Many people would be quick to listen to a voicemail if they thought it was from their boss, for example.Ĭrooks typically rely on victims mindlessly clicking on a link in the text that takes them to a fraudulent website.įrom here, they can infiltrate a person's phone to access their private information using malware. Scam texts are designed to catch you out when you're in a rush and not concentrating.
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One fraudulent text stopped in its tracks encouraged people to apply for an Omicron PCR test and linked to a fake website using the NHS logo.Īnother ripped off the branding of courier service DHL and told people to download an app to track their parcels.Ī third convincingly replicated the online banking sign-in for Santander - even shamelessly including a warning to customers to beware of coronavirus scams. Well, Money Mail can today reveal that around 500 scams a month are being eradicated thanks to members of the public forwarding suspicious texts to 7726.
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