Fraud warnings have been issued to online banking customers following a surge in text message scams targeting savings accounts as the tax year ends. Tens of thousands of scam messages, purporting to be from Barclays, Halifax, HSBC and Lloyds, have been sent in the past week, asking account holders to verify suspicious transactions.
The scam texts are framed as security messages requesting confirmation of a payment made from an unrecognised digital device. In another variant, the texts ask recipients to tap a link to confirm a payment to a named person. All messages contain fraudulent links that request sensitive information such as online banking details and full names, putting recipients at risk of theft and banking fraud.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) also warned of scams using Royal Mail branding to intercept personal details. These messages claim a parcel is awaiting delivery but a 'settlement' must be paid, with a link to a fraudulent Royal Mail website asking for bank details. The CTSI noted that the rise in online shopping makes more people vulnerable to this fraud.
Katherine Hart, a Lead Officer at CTSI, said: 'I am witnessing so many reports of this scam; indeed, I have received multiple versions of it on my phone. The public is very vulnerable to this type of fraud, especially when more people rely on online payments. Fraudsters change the form and methods of their scams to match shifting consumer behaviour.'
To report scams, contact Action Fraud, or if in Scotland, contact Police Scotland. For email scams, contact the National Cyber Security Centre at report@phishing.gov.uk. For consumer advice, call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133. Reputable firms such as banks and Royal Mail will never ask you to enter your bank details via text or email. If in doubt, delete the message and call the official customer services line.
