Experts are warning that a new wave of sophisticated text messages is putting millions of Britons at risk of having their savings stolen. The alert comes after an elderly man was tricked into handing over cash weeks before his death, with the fraud only discovered when relatives later reviewed his finances.
Online scams cost victims hundreds of billions globally last year, and more than half of adults report being targeted in the past 12 months. The tell-tale signs people once relied on—such as spelling mistakes and clumsy wording—are rapidly disappearing. Cyber criminals now produce slick, professional messages that closely mimic trusted organisations like banks, delivery firms and HMRC.
Marijus Briedis, chief technology officer at NordVPN, says the key giveaway is not poor grammar but pressure: messages designed to trigger panic and override common sense. The three warning signs are urgency (e.g., threats to close an account), unexpected links or phone numbers, and fear (e.g., claims of suspicious activity).
Debbie Porter, managing director at Destination Digital Marketing, recounted how her father-in-law fell victim shortly before his death. The bank refused to take responsibility because he had consented to the payment. She advises treating all urgent 'pay now' messages with high vigilance and independently verifying contacts.
Industry experts also warn that artificial intelligence will worsen the problem. Dil Gujral, chief AI trainer at AI Now Academy, predicts scammers will use AI to impersonate family members for extortion. NordVPN has launched a free scam checker tool to help users identify fraudulent messages.
