How to spot a scam text message
Text message (or SMS) scams are on the rise and can be difficult to spot. Recently, some customers have received text messages from fraudsters pretending to be HMRC or the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which can look very convincing. This blog highlights some of the signs to look out for to help protect yourself from fraud and looks at an example of one of these scams.
Five signs a text message is a scam
- Authority. Criminals often pretend to be official people or organisations, like a government department, bank, mobile phone network, or delivery service. This is to try to trick you into doing what they want.
- Sense of urgency. Scammers often push you to take action quickly by saying there’s not much time to do something. If you feel rushed or panicked by a text, it’s probably a scam.
- Link. Scam text messages often contain a link that, if clicked on, can put your phone at risk of security threats. For example, the website it leads to might ask you to enter personal information that fraudsters can then steal. Or clicking the link could download malware to your device.
- Personal details. Scammers are usually after your personal details, which they can use to steal money or even your identity. Always be suspicious if a text asks you to share any personal details.
- Bad spelling or grammar. Scam messages often have spelling or grammatical errors, which makes them easier to spot. However, as you’ll see in the example below, this isn’t always the case.
If you’re not sure whether a text message is a scam, contact the company the message claims to be from using the contact details on their official website.
Example of a scam text
In this real-life example sent in by a customer, there are several signs that it’s a scam:
- Authority – the message claims to be from DWP but comes from an unknown mobile number.
- Sense of urgency – the message is trying to cause panic by saying that the recipient won’t get their Winter Heating Allowance if they don’t act quickly.
- Link – the message contains a link and asks the recipient to click it.
- Personal details – the message asks the recipient to provide their address.
What to do if you get a scam text
You can forward any scam text messages you receive to 7726. This will report the scam to your network provider, who can investigate. Find out more about reporting fake texts and mobile calls to 7726.
If you’ve been caught out by a scam message and have lost money or are worried that your bank account is at risk, call your bank immediately. The number will be on the back of your bank card.