The latest text message scams to watch out for

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Police and charities are warning pensioners to be wary of text messages offering financial support over the colder months.

If you receive an unexpected text message, it’s crucial to understand the warning signs to reduce your chances of being caught out by a scam.

Winter fuel payment scams

Following the government’s decision to scrap the Winter Fuel Payment for all but the poorest pensioners, scammers are now targeting vulnerable pensioners by text message, informing them they are eligible for heating subsidies and directing them to application links to enter their bank details.

Dr Jessica Barker, CEO of cybersecurity firm Cygenta and author of a new book Hacked: The Secrets Behind Cyber Attacks, told Saga Money: “The Winter Fuel Payment scam is an example of how cyber criminals increasingly operate, taking current events and ‘piggybacking’ off them to make their scams seem more convincing.

“Some of these messages use urgency to hurry people into clicking a link, for example by saying it is the ‘last notice’. The links take people to pages which have been designed to look like legitimate UK government web pages, but they are fakes being run by criminals.”

NHS vaccination scams

This is another scam that rears its head during the autumn and winter months. You’ll receive a text message, seemingly from the NHS, to say you can now book your flu (or Covid, RSV or shingles) vaccination.

Some messages state that for a fee, a GP can come to your house to administer the flu jab, and you’ll be told to enter your bank details. Others ask you to press a number on your phone keypad or send a text to confirm you would like the vaccination, and a charge is then added to your phone bill.

If you receive a text like this, don’t respond. Contact your local GP surgery or book your flu vaccination online through the NHS website.

See which vaccinations you’re eligible for this winter.

A mature woman standing scrolling through her phone — Image credit: Shutterstock /Lorn

Fake delivery scams

Fake delivery scams are particularly prevalent in the run up to Christmas. The scam starts with a text message informing you that a package couldn’t be delivered to your home, and you need to reschedule it – usually before a set deadline.

Dr Barker says: “The messages push recipients into clicking a link, which often leads to lookalike web pages for delivery companies, asking for personal and financial information.”

If your message claims to be from Royal Mail and is asking for you to input personal details, you can be confident it’s a scam. Royal Mail will never contact you unexpectedly to ask for personal or payment details.

“Hi Mum” or “friend in need” scams

Common on WhatsApp, these scam messages can also be sent by text. Starting with ‘Hi Mum’ or ‘Hi Dad’, the message typically claims to be from a child in distress, but it may also purport to be from another friend or relative in distress.

Often, they’ll say their phone is lost or damaged (which is the supposed reason why they’re contacting you from an unknown phone number) and they need money to help cover an urgent bill. They’ll then send you bank details and ask you to transfer the money to their account. Some sophisticated versions of these scams don’t ask for money straight away – they can even run over several days whilst the scammers build up trust, all the while making you think it’s your loved one you are communicating with.

Always be wary of any message asking for money and criminals will try to rush you so that you’re less able to think clearly.

Pension scams

Pension scams are often carried out by text message. There are various forms of this scam, but they typically involve a fraudster encouraging you to transfer your pension savings to a fraudulent scheme. They might offer a free pension review or promise high returns in a bid to get access to your pension or bank account details.

It’s illegal to make cold calls about pensions, so be particularly wary of any text messages you receive about your pension.

A mature male, holding his glasses while looking at his phone — Image credit: Shutterstock / Ground Picture

Unpaid parking fine scams

These scam text messages often claim to be from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) or another government department, informing you of an unpaid parking fine.

You might be told that if you don’t pay the fine quickly, you could be banned from driving, have to pay more, or be taken to court. You’ll be told to click on the link in the text message and enter your licence plate number and financial details to pay your penalty.

The initial message is usually followed up with scam reminders, stating: ‘Today is the last day to pay your ticket due to your long-term delinquency”, or: “We will ban your car from driving on the road starting tomorrow and transfer your parking ticket to the court”.

Other parking fine scams claim to be from the local council but work in a similar way.

But it looks like it’s from a genuine organisation – surely that’s not a scam?

No matter how financially savvy you are, it’s still possible to get caught out. Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated and it’s not always easy to tell whether something is legitimate.

So-called ‘spoofing’ refers to when a fraudster pretends to be a legitimate business. When it’s used for text messages, it involves altering the sender ID or display name to make it look like it’s coming from a genuine company.

James Bore, a cyber security specialist at security firm Bores Consultancy, explains: “Our phone system is not secure, meaning it is very easy for people to use faked numbers for phone calls or sending text messages. This makes it a very safe way for fraudsters to send out scams – whether they’re delivery notices, attempting to exploit news headlines such as on Winter Fuel Payments, parking alerts, or even NHS bookings.

“Fraudsters will exploit anything they can, and as genuine companies rely on text messages for communication, it can be very hard to tell the difference.”

Many of these fraudsters model their scams after genuine messages and set up links to realistic websites which have been cloned from genuine sites, to create further confusion.

“All it takes is a moment of inattention, being tired, distracted, or stressed, and within seconds we can end up with our details in the hands of a fraudster who will quickly exploit them to steal whatever they can,” adds Bore.

How to protect yourself against scams

If you receive an unexpected text message, take a step back, think about whether it’s genuine, and don’t click on any links.

“Scammers want us to feel hopeful that there may be some extra support available, they want us to feel hurried or to want to help someone else. When we feel emotional like this, we often act before we think,” says Dr Barker. “Taking a moment to check that something is legitimate can help you to stay safe.”

Be particularly wary of any messages stressing urgent action, and never give verification codes, two-factor authentication codes or financial details over text message.

Poor spelling or grammar in a message claiming to be official can be a clue that it’s a scam, so check carefully, but don’t rely on this as your only scam-detection technique.

Bore adds: “The best protection against these [scams] is to build a habit, with any message or request, of verifying it through a different method. If it’s a text message from the bank, call the bank. If it’s a claimed grant or payment from the government, talk to someone you trust about whether it’s genuine.”

For the “Hi Mum” or “Hi Dad” scams it’s a good idea to call your child (or other contact) yourself (on their usual number) to find out if they have been trying to reach you.

If you receive a text message you think is a scam, you can forward it for free to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on 7726, or you can take a screenshot and send it to report@phishing.gov.uk. Your provider can investigate where the text originated from and arrange to block or ban the sender if it’s found to be malicious.

If you’ve been caught out, it’s easy to feel embarrassed and keep it to yourself. But telling friends or family helps to raise awareness and can prevent others from falling victim.

You should also report the scam to the police at Action Fraud and contact your bank as soon as possible if you’ve lost money. Your case will be dealt with sympathetically and, depending on the circumstances, you might be able to get your money back.