Millions of UK mobile users issued text message warning by Three Mobile — what you must watch out for

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Three Mobile blocks 20 million fraudulent text messages every day ...but despite its best efforts, enough scams are slipping through the net that it's issued an urgent warning to millions of customers across the UK

PRESS ASSOCIATION
Aaron Brown

By Aaron Brown


Published: 02/08/2024

- 11:50

Scam text messages are on the rise, despite the network's detection systems blocking 111,111 scams every day

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Online shoppers have been placed on alert by Three Mobile. The fourth biggest mobile network in the UK has issued a warning over a fresh wave of fake texts claiming that you've missed a delivery. Since the pandemic, these sneaky scams have regularly been making the rounds, but in recent months they've exploded in numbers.

Scammers will send a fraudulent text message about a problem with your delivery — usually, a missed delivery slot or incorrect postage — with a URL that sends you to a phoney website that pretends to be a legitimate courier company, like UPS, FedEx, Royal Mail, and others. This website will ask you to input your details and pay a small fee for a second attempted delivery.

Once the scammers have your payment details, these cyber crooks can drain your bank account in a flash.

According to Three Mobile, they've blocked a jaw-dropping 20 million fraudulent messages this year alone. That's 111,111 every day. But despite the best efforts of the network, some of these scam texts are still slipping through to net, most likely due to the uptick in numbers sent by criminals.

Detection systems used by Three Mobile have recorded an increase in activity, most likely due to the heightened online retail activity taking place during the summer months as Britons rush to purchase new outfits for summer holidays, luggage and other travel gear, and take advantage of summer sales from the biggest brands.

It's not just the increase in numbers that has Three Mobile worried, scammers have also become smarter and can now disguise their fraudulent messages as a number of household delivery brands, like Royal Mail, DHL and UPS.

Recent research from Citizens Advice paints a troubling picture — almost half (49%) of all people targeted by scammers are victims of malicious parcel delivery scams, proving how ubiquitous this trick has become.

And criminals are increasingly looking to trick younger shoppers, with 84% of 18-24 years targeted via text message or mobile messaging.

Three Mobile Director of Finance & Fraud Mark Fitzgerald said: "The ‘missed parcel’ scam has been around for a while, but online shoppers are more vulnerable at this time of year with summer deals and holiday shopping.

"Our fraud prevention team is working hard to block fraudulent messages and advise our customers on the latest watchouts so they can rest stay alert. If you’re expecting a delivery and you receive a ‘missed parcel’ message, do not click on any text links you receive. Use official apps or websites to track your parcel. Any texts that look suspicious, forward the message to 7726, the free spam-reporting service."

There are a few simple steps you can take to spot one of these delivery scams —

  1. Watch out for text messages from a random UK mobile number, or one that isn't labelled as a recognisable brand
  2. Texts with typos or bad grammar could be a sign that it's not a legitimate message
  3. If the message has an urgent tone that pushes you to act quickly, it could be a sign that you're being pressed by scammers
  4. Missing details, like order number or the original date that you placed your order, could belie a fraudulent message
  5. Odd URLs and links to click are a sign that you might be looking at a scam message

The latest warning from Three Mobile coincides with renewed calls from a coalition of businesses, including Three and Which?, that encourages the UK Government to make tackling fraud a national priority. Thousands of Britons are targeted by online fraudsters every single day — and the average victim loses as much as £325 to the scammers.

Research from BDO, the fifth-largest accounting network on the planet, shows that fraud cost the UK an eye-watering £2.3 billion last year — more than double the figure from 2022 and the second-highest annual total recorded by BDO in two decades.

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A spokesperson for Three Mobile added: "Being a victim of fraud is a frustrating and scary experience. The fight against fraud is constantly evolving due to the changing tactics of criminals, so we are constantly investing in our systems to detect threats and train our staff.

"We urge customers not to respond to any suspicious messages, especially if the website does not look legitimate. If you’re still not sure, contact the organisation directly that seems to have sent you the message to see if it’s from them."

Remember, only use official websites to track your deliveries and always be cautious with any links sent to you via text. Stay safe, shoppers!

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