Scam alert! Texts from your bank could actually drain your account

Online banking has taken over traditional forms of banking. Be it transferring money or even making a new account with a bank, all can be carried out through the use of a smartphone. Many – a – times, users may have received official messages from their respective banks regarding new schemes and other such related information. Hackers have now shifted their attention to this segment in order to gain a particular user’s personal information.

A text scam is reportedly circulating in which fraudsters spoof your bank’s mobile number and ask the user to call a fraud prevention help-line number if they don’t recognise the transaction. Upon calling the fraud number, they ask the users to confirm the bank details, thereby giving them access to the money in their accounts.

This new type of scam is called ‘smishing’ wherein fraudsters spoof a user’s bank phone number, allowing them to appear legitimate. The text from the official number is used to inform the users that there have been suspicious activities taking place. Post which, they are advised to reach out for help by calling the ‘fraud prevention’ number.

Claire Pearson, a victim of this spam, spoke on ITV’s This Morning: “I received the text, but this wasn't unusual as I've had messages from them before. It said there had been suspicious activity on my account, asked "do you recognise this transaction?", if not call this number. I clicked the number and it called through, and the call went on for 30 minutes. The man I spoke to was lovely, we built up a rapport and he said they would send me a new card in three days.”

When Pearson checked her account again, she saw that all her money had been drained from her account. She apparently lost over £71,000.