In recent years, there has been a surge in fraud and scam calls and text messages in the UK. These calls and messages often come from unknown numbers, or with spoofed caller IDs that make them appear to be from legitimate businesses or government agencies. This can make it difficult for consumers to know whether or not a call or message is legitimate, and can lead to them being scammed out of money or personal information.
One of the most common types of fraud calls is the “vishing” scam. In a vishing scam, the caller will pose as a representative from a legitimate business or government agency and ask the victim for personal information, such as their bank account number or National Insurance number. Once the caller has this information, they can use it to steal the victim’s identity or make fraudulent financial transactions.
Another common type of fraud text message is the “smishing” scam. In a smishing scam, the victim will receive a text message from a sender who claims to be from a legitimate business or government agency. The message will often contain a link that the victim is asked to click on. If the victim clicks on the link, they will be taken to a fake website that looks like the real thing. Once the victim enters their personal information on the fake website, it will be stolen by the scammers.
“No Caller ID” is a growing threat to UK consumers. By making it difficult to identify who is calling, it makes it easier for scammers to target their victims. There are a number of things that consumers can do to protect themselves from fraud calls and text messages, such as:
Tips for avoiding falling into the No Caller ID trap
- Never give out personal information over the phone or in a text message.
- Be suspicious of any unsolicited calls or text messages, even if they appear to be from a legitimate business or government agency.
- Do not click on links in text messages from unknown senders.
- Report any suspicious calls or text messages to your phone network or the police.
By taking these precautions, consumers can help to protect themselves from fraud via scam calls and text messages.