Spam call, supposedly from NatWest

andygb

Just sitting at my desk, and I received a spam call purporting to be from NatWest.

You will shortly receive a message from mobile number 07860009147 to confirm details of a cheque debiting your account today. Please reply as soon as possible today and if we don't hear back before 3.30 the cheque will automatically be stopped. Thanks
Senser NatWest.
Message Centre 447802000332

I don't bank with NatWest and cannot remember the last time I wrote out a cheque.

I have now received another message from the same source asking me if I recognise a cheque (will not name the payee) for around £20K - wish I had that kind of money in my account:rotfl:
And to respond "y" if genuine and "N" if not.
What is going on???

Browntoa

http://www.unknownphone.com/search.php?num=447802000332

Silvertabby

Don't respond - just hang up.

Sounds like a phishing attempt.

As you don't bank with Natwest, you won't get any sense out of them even if you ring them on their legit phone number - but, for peace of mind, speak to your own bank's fraud department to ask if they can see anything 'hinky'.

A few years ago, I took a land-line recorded message (allegedly) from Barclaycard, saying that 'there had been suspicious activity on my account and to press button 9 for more information.

Bang went the 'phone.

As we did have a Barclaycard, I rang the fraud dept using the telephone number from our statements - and it turned out that the call had been genuine. All credit to Barclaycard, they had spotted a rat very quickly and blocked our cards so we didn't lose a penny. Pity they didn't appreciate my problem with their original warning phone call.

Browntoa

both the above "the number you have called is not recognised"

Ian011

Follow none of the instructions in the message, do not click on any links, do not reply and do not call any of the numbers mentioned in the message.

Report as much detail as possible to ActionFraud.

Replying "Y" could sign you up to a premium text service that takes up to £10 per message. Calling could result in a scammer asking for personal details. Clicking a link could be the starting point for a large variety of different scams.

Some scammers manage to fake the number they are sending from so that it appears as the five-digit short code used by your bank. Those messages ask people to call premium rate numbers starting 084, 087 or 09. The scam is they hold callers in a long queue and earn revenue share from the phone call.

Never call numbers starting 070, 076, 084, 087, 090, 091, 098 or 118 when invited to do so by someone else. They are almost always scams.

If you do decide to.call your bank, do so only using numbers found on a recent statement or on their official website. These will start 01, 02, 03 or 080.

andygb

Cheers, I just read the messages, wrote them down then deleted them.
I was going to phone the genuine NatWest customer service line which is an 0345 number, but I doubt that they would be interested.
I amy try Action Fraud.