Nationwide Building Society has issued an urgent security alert to its 16 million members after customers reported receiving convincing fake text messages demanding immediate payment of £56.
The sophisticated scam texts appear to come from legitimate Nationwide phone numbers and claim that a recent payment has failed. Recipients are instructed to click a link and pay the amount immediately to avoid account suspension.
How the sophisticated scam works
Fraudsters are using a technique called "spoofing" to make their messages appear in existing text threads where customers have genuine correspondence from Nationwide. This makes the fraudulent messages particularly convincing and difficult to distinguish from real communications.
One customer reported: "The text came through on the same thread as my genuine Nationwide messages. It looked completely authentic and demanded I pay £56 immediately."
What Nationwide says about the scam
A Nationwide spokesperson confirmed: "We're aware of a smishing scam targeting our members. The texts claim a payment has been missed and request £56. These messages are not from Nationwide."
The building society emphasised that they never send texts requesting payments and will never ask customers to move money to a "safe account."
How to protect yourself from banking scams
- Never click on links in unexpected text messages
- Verify any payment requests by contacting your bank directly
- Remember that genuine banks never ask you to move money to "safe accounts"
- Use official banking apps or websites rather than clicking links
- Report suspicious messages to your bank immediately
If you've received one of these scam texts, forward it to 7726 to report it to your mobile provider and contact Nationwide directly through their official app or website.
