SMS Text Messages from Government, Scam?

bery_451

Hi,
How do you verify that sms messages from the government are genuine or scam? These messages have links to:
http://GOV.UK

Is http a scam because its not https?

kaMelo

http or https doesn't make any difference as to where it goes to, it just means one is encrypted and the other is not. What matters is that it really does take you to "gov.uk"   
Personally speaking though I'd never click a link in a text message.

unholyangel

What does the text message say? Generally, thats a dead giveaway as to whether its a scam or not. 

bradders1983

As far as I am aware the only official Government text that has been sent out on this subject has the sender as "UK_Gov" and it says this.. 

GOV.UK ALERT CORONAVIRUS New rules in force now: you must stay at home. More info and exemptions at gov.uk/coronavirus Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives

bery_451

Okay its best to post here which texts people are receiving.
My mate received this text:
"You registered as a clinically extremely vulnerable person."
Anyone received this sms txt and is it a scam and what you do with the text? My mate received no letter.

bradders1983

Is that all the text says? Cant see how its a scam when its not asking you to ring a number back or click a link.

bery_451

bradders1983 said:

Is that all the text says? Cant see how its a scam when its not asking you to ring a number back or click a link.

Yeah theres a link on there that is:
http://GOV.UK

bradders1983

Thats perfectly legit then if thats all the link is.

victor2

bradders1983 said:

As far as I am aware the only official Government text that has been sent out on this subject has the sender as "UK_Gov" and it says this.. 

GOV.UK ALERT CORONAVIRUS New rules in force now: you must stay at home. More info and exemptions at gov.uk/coronavirus Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives

I had a similar one to that (two actually in a 5 hour window) but with a link to gov.uk/coronavirus, which I didn't click on, just because I won't follow links in messages I'm not expecting. I'm sure it was genuine, OH received the same message the day before. Apparently some years back the government initiated a project to allow them to broadcast a message to all mobile phones, regardless of the network they were on, within about 15 minutes of some critical situation. Word is it was abandoned because of cost and getting the networks to subscribe to having some central system capabale of broadcasting to all their customers. Don't think I'd want to give that sort of power to our politicians either!

bery_451

bradders1983 said:

Thats perfectly legit then if thats all the link is.

Okay then why isnt the link https instead of http then?

d63

bradders1983 said:

Thats perfectly legit then if thats all the link is.

but the link address that you see and the place the link actually sends you are not necessarily one and the same. do please exercise extreme caution about clicking on anything you get in an email or text message or whatever.  at the very least try typing the link into your browser yourself, or google for known scams associated with the exact wording of the message.