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Received scam text message. Very concerned because...
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leapyear
Posts: 90 Forumite

in Techie Stuff
I've just got one of those track your parcel text messages from a number I've checked out and is definitely a scam number. Besides, I'm not expecting a parcel.
I'm very concerned because I only use my number for online shopping and security with certain shopping sites (when it is needed) and email security. It's not a smartphone so it's incapable of connecting to the internet.
So how did the scammers get my number?
Coupling this incident with a dodgy email I got yesterday, I'm very concerned, something online has been compromised. The email was addressed to my father but sent to my email address (you may have seen my post further down the Techie Stuff forum).
I have never had a dodgy email sent to that address in all the years I have had it nor have I ever had a dodgy text sent to my phone. So two incidences within a day of each other is worrying me.
What do you think I should do next?
I'm very concerned because I only use my number for online shopping and security with certain shopping sites (when it is needed) and email security. It's not a smartphone so it's incapable of connecting to the internet.
So how did the scammers get my number?
Coupling this incident with a dodgy email I got yesterday, I'm very concerned, something online has been compromised. The email was addressed to my father but sent to my email address (you may have seen my post further down the Techie Stuff forum).
I have never had a dodgy email sent to that address in all the years I have had it nor have I ever had a dodgy text sent to my phone. So two incidences within a day of each other is worrying me.
What do you think I should do next?
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Comments
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leapyear said:
What do you think I should do next?
Change any online shopping or email passwords that might have been compromised.
I get quite a few scam messages and emails etc. I just ignore them and delete them and nothing bad has ever happened.
A man walked into a car showroom.
He said to the salesman, “My wife would like to talk to you about the Volkswagen Golf in the showroom window.”
Salesman said, “We haven't got a Volkswagen Golf in the showroom window.”
The man replied, “You have now mate".3 -
leapyear said:
So how did the scammers get my number?
As for you email, put your email in this website to see if it has been leaked somewhere.
https://haveibeenpwned.com/
Two incidences in one day isn't particularly unusual, just a coincidence. Count yourself lucky that you don't get dozens like I do because my email address has been in 6 different data leaks.5 -
I’d echo what tallmansix said about scammers sending out to blocks of numbers. At one large company I worked for, they’d issued a number of company mobile phones in a block of numbers with the same 07xxx prefix. Many people found they were getting scam messages at the same time because the scammers were speculatively sending out messages to all numbers in a block.
I’d concur with the other replies, coincidences do happen, just delete them and ignore.1 -
Thank you everyone for putting my mind at ease.
I entered my address and my father's address into https://haveibeenpwned.com/ and it came back ok.
It wouldn't hurt to change passwords to email and shopping accounts.
Again, thanks!1
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