Fraudsters send you a message pretending to be your friend or family member. The message will have a generic opening such as "Hello Mum" or "Hi Dad". They'll claim that they've got a new phone - because theirs has been lost, damaged or stolen and say that they urgently need money to pay for something.
Follow our top five tips to stay safe:
- Beware of urgency: scammers often rush you into making decisions by claiming the money is for something urgent.
- Contact them directly: if you’re unsure if a text is genuine get in touch with the person who is trying to contact you on their original number.
- Tone of voice: consider the language, punctuation, and any emojis used in their messages to determine if it is consistent with their usual manner of communication.
- Unique information: if in doubt ask the sender a question that only your friend or family member could answer.
- Report scam messages: you can report it by forwarding it to 7726, which is a free reporting service provided by phone operators.
