Warning : Santander scam text

MalMonroe

Hi, I know that people are receiving scam texts all the time but I've just had one purportedly from Santander advising that I have a new payee and that if I don't think the message is meant for me I have to click on the link in the text. 

I just think that these scams are getting more sophisticated all the time. If I were a Santander customer, I may have been tempted to click. But then again after being an MSE forumite, I must admit that I have been taught better than that!

Just be careful out there, everyone. I've reported and blocked the message but it's so easy for them to contact us. Especially when we may actually have banking apps on our phones. . . 

PS I don't expect any responses - I did just want to report this to my Fellow Forumites. If it's in the wrong place, I apologise. If you don't want to know that's fine, I understand completely.   Love and peace    

Daliah

MalMonroe said:

Just be careful out there, everyone. I've reported and blocked the message but it's so easy for them to contact us. Especially when we may actually have banking apps on our phones. . . 

Having banking apps on your phone makes you no more likely to receive scam texts. The fraudsters sending the messages have no idea what apps you are having on your phone, or whether your phone is even capable of running apps. They just use random number generators and shoot their messages off to those random numbers in the hope to catch people unawares.

Zanderman

Daliah said:

MalMonroe said:

Just be careful out there, everyone. I've reported and blocked the message but it's so easy for them to contact us. Especially when we may actually have banking apps on our phones. . . 

Having banking apps on your phone makes you no more likely to receive scam texts. The fraudsters sending the messages have no idea what apps you are having on your phone, or whether your phone is even capable of running apps. They just use random number generators and shoot their messages off to those random numbers in the hope to catch people unawares.

Indeed, I get such texts on an old bomb-proof nokia dumbphone as well as a smartphone.  There's no (or negligible) targetting.

Not sure why OP is bothered about having banking apps on the phone at all.

The links in scam texts will take you to a scam website. They won't access your banking apps.

And if you open your banking app to check the alleged 'new payee' you'll be bypassing the scammers link, no harm will be done and you'll see that nothing's amiss. 

Having banking apps is a good defence against such scam texts, they (surely?) don't worsen any risk.