Reporting SPAM / Smishing Texts

Now more than ever, it’s important to stay wary of messages that you receive. Fraudsters are taking advantage of the current climate and the number of scammers is on the rise.

Smishing is a form of SMS fraud. It enables criminals to steal the identity or money of victims, as a consequence of responding to misleading and fraudulent texts. Here’s some things to look out for:

• Check for spelling mistakes and poor grammar.
• Check for slight differences in spelling or symbols in website links used to direct victims to fake websites.
• Look out for messages sent to generic names, such as ‘Dear Customer’.
• Be wary of texts that ask you to call a number you do not recognise, login to an unfamiliar portal or make any payments.

If you do receive a SPAM or Smishing SMS you can report it.

• Forward the message to 7726 and be careful not to click on any of the links embedded in the message.
• You’ll receive a text back asking you to send the mobile number of where the SPAM message was received from.

^{Information shared with 7726 will be available to all mobile network operators, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and various approved organisations who are involved in criminal investigations, including the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to enable them to identify the senders. Information may also be shared with the companies who are being targeted to help protect their customers from fraud.}

We hope this information has been helpful. Stay vigilant!