Fraudulent text messages are being used by scammers to conduct widespread attacks designed to steal money and personal data. These scams typically aim to trick recipients into clicking malicious links or contacting numbers controlled by fraudsters, leading to the handover of personal information under false pretences.
Among the latest scams identified is a message claiming to be from the DVLA, which states that personal information needs updating to avoid issues with driving licences and provides a malicious link. The 'Hi Mum, hi Dad' scam has also resurfaced, with fraudsters impersonating adult children to request money for made-up emergencies.
Other reported scams include texts from companies like RingGo and Parkingeye regarding unpaid parking fines, and messages from Evri about undelivered parcels due to incorrect address information. Police Scotland has also issued a warning about a job scam offering part-time online tasks for £80 to £300 a day, which can evolve into 'task scams' where victims are asked to invest money.
Recipients are advised to treat out-of-the-blue texts from unknown numbers or emails with caution, especially if they contain links, request financial or personal information, or feature poor spelling and grammar. Text messages can be reported by forwarding them to 7726.