Anyone with a smartphone might want to watch out for a number of fake texts that appear to be doing the rounds. Virgin Media O2 says it has recently seen a ‘significant rise’ in the number of messages being sent to devices – and getting caught out by these scams could be costly. Tricks that appear to be on the rise include fake prize scams, parking ticket texts, recruitment messages and the infamous “Hi mum” attack. This is where the scammers send a message pretending to be a family member in trouble and then ask for money. It’s a tactic that’s already cost consumers hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Despite blocking more than 600 million dodgy texts in a bid to keep it customers safe, O2 is still urging users to be careful.
“Scammers aren’t sticking to old tricks; they’re evolving fast, tapping into trending news and targeting vulnerable people with fake prizes, job offers and financial compensation schemes,” Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud Prevention at Virgin Media O2, said.
“At Virgin Media O2 we’re doing everything we can and have already blocked more than 600 million scam texts from reaching our customers so far this year.
“But with fraud continuing to increase, we’re reminding people to remain vigilant; always be careful when you receive a call or text out of the blue, don’t share personal details with anyone and report suspicious messages for free to 7726.”
It’s now vital that all UK phone users pay attention to their devices and watch out for these 5 attacks.
Gambling / fake prize scams
These messages usually suggest a prize has been won, with one recent example saying, “Your account is now loaded with GBP500 plus 150 FreeSpins. Redeem and play today”. As the old saying goes, if it looks too good to be true, it usually is.
Hi Mum/Hi Dad
This is one of the most common scams and has been hugely successful for hackers. Messages usually start with, “Hey mum save my new number” or “Hi Dad, did you get this?”
Once a victim starts responding, the crooks try to get money and it’s cost some thousands of pounds.
Fake parking fines
Express.co.uk recently reported on the rise of parking scams. Messages are sent out suggesting a fine hasn’t been paid with a link then included which takes users to an official-lookinhg government website.
Recruitment scams
With people always looking for work, recruitment scams continue to rise. Here’s an example of a text to watch out for.
“Hello, my name is Grace Mitchell, and I am the Human Resources Manager at Serviceplan Group.
“We have reviewed your profile on several online recruitment platforms. Currently, we are offering a flexible part-time position that you can complete during your spare time.
“The daily income ranges from ¬£80 to ¬£300, with payment made immediately upon completion of the data optimisation.”
Car Finance mis-sold
The recent news about car finance may have some thinking that they might be due a payout. That could be correct but it’s also giving cyber crooks a new way to try and scam people. Here’s the type of message to beware of.
“Our records indicate you could be owed up to ¬£2,382.58 in mis-sold car finance. Check for free”