Warning New Fake DWP text

mrpaul
mrpaul Online Community Member Posts: 12 Listener
in Money and bills
Hello friends, just to let others know their is a fake text spreading rapidly purporting to be from the DWP and it's very convincing.

If you receive a text with different payment dates to the ones that are officially announced, it's not from the DWP, I received the text today but apparently the dates used are different depending on the person . People fall for it  because some will get it within those dates,which is what scammers rely on, I don't fully know how it works but it's something to do with harvesting bank account details. 

Comments

  • Sandy_123
    Sandy_123 Scope Member Posts: 62,928 Championing
    Hi @mrpaul did the text mention bank details etc
  • mrpaul
    mrpaul Online Community Member Posts: 12 Listener
    edited November 2022
    There was a link but I never clicked on it, it apparently  looks like the www.gov.uk site but it's a fake cloned website. I'm assuming it's asking for bank details.
  • Sandy_123
    Sandy_123 Scope Member Posts: 62,928 Championing
    Yeah good choice not clicking on links they try all sorts of ways to scam people
  • mrpaul
    mrpaul Online Community Member Posts: 12 Listener
    edited November 2022
    It's a convincing text my mum fell for it because she got the payment on one of the days listed in the text, luckily no money taken yet, dealt with it with bank but I assume they would of tried to take money in the future. Me my mum and lots of people on internet received it but the dates were different. My mum denies giving any bank details but apparently some are admitting they did.
  • Sandy_123
    Sandy_123 Scope Member Posts: 62,928 Championing
    Thats how they win certain people fall for it. 
  • mrpaul
    mrpaul Online Community Member Posts: 12 Listener
    edited November 2022
    There is only one text that the DWP says is from them, it gives the same information as that which is on the cost of living page. The fake one just says you'll be paid within a 2 to 4 day window,  again depends who it is. I suspect their are multiple different fake texts.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    It may not be a scam. If it’s regarding the £324 cost of living payment saying that you will receive the payment between 2 different dates then it’s not a scam. Another member on here received a text saying that they will receive the payment between 8th and 11th November and they received it today. 
  • mrpaul
    mrpaul Online Community Member Posts: 12 Listener
    edited November 2022
    Yeah my mum thought that as well she received the payment but some people online have had their accounts emptied after receiving the same text, some a few days after being paid  by the DWP. I rang the DWP up today, they told me the text is nothing to do with them, that it's a scam and they don't know what days people are gonna get there payment and they don't give such narrow payment windows. The scammers know the odds are good that some lots of people gonna get their payment this week. It's clever. My mum's text said between 8 and 10 Nov, mine was 9 and 11. My mum got her payment yesterday, I got mine on the 8th so the text wasn't even right in my case.
  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,001 Championing
    mrpaul said:
    Yeah my mum thought that as well she received the payment but some people online have had their accounts emptied after receiving the same text, ..
    Which could only happen if somebody then gave away personal details. DWP will not ask for details by text.
  • Jo_2022
    Jo_2022 Online Community Member Posts: 295 Empowering
    Hiya @mrpaul,
    Thank you very much for sharing this important information with everyone. 

    I am happy to hear your Mum did not lose out on any money! 

    Scams and phishing can be forwarded to this email address:
    mailto:report@phishing.gov.uk
  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,001 Championing
    Jo_2022 said:
    Scams and phishing can be forwarded to this email address:
    mailto:report@phishing.gov.uk
    Scam texts can be forwarded to 7726.
    https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/scams/7726-reporting-scam-texts-and-calls
  • LouiseT
    LouiseT Online Community Member Posts: 22 Connected
    edited November 2022
    I heard about that text from sumone on here, I though it sounded fishy. Lots of drama on this site last night about that same text.  Lots of discussion about this on twitter, apparently it's a Trojan horse that activates when the text message is opened looking for bank details. Thanks for the info.
  • kimkenzie202
    kimkenzie202 Online Community Member Posts: 112 Contributor
    edited November 2022
    I've been looking for information about this, I got the same text and £160 has been taken from my account, the thing is the message never even asked for bank details.Someone on digitalspy told me it's a virus, I got suspicious when I never got the money on the days the message claimed. I'm really mad it was my shopping money. I really hope I get a refund from the bank.
  • mrpaul
    mrpaul Online Community Member Posts: 12 Listener
    Ada said:
    Yes @poppy123456 it was a text to my mobile not the internet and it checked out. As well as another person got a text with other dates and checked out when she rang. They didn’t need to ask for bank details. 
    It was a text message sent to our phone, I never said it wasn't. Apparently the text has some kind of Trojan virus that then searches the phone for online bank accounts and accesses them, people don't realise straight away because some people will get the DWP payment during those dates it's bound to happen lots of people got payments this week. That's what people are saying on the Scam forums, there is no evidence that bank details are even being asked for it's all done through hacking phones, when people open the message. I just assumed bank details were being asked for.. Luckily I don't have banking app on my phone so I'm safe.
  • L_Volunteer
    L_Volunteer Community Volunteer Adviser, Scope Member Posts: 7,922 Championing
    That sounds like a positive thing for you @Ada :)
  • L_Volunteer
    L_Volunteer Community Volunteer Adviser, Scope Member Posts: 7,922 Championing
    Hello @mrpaul. Thank you for letting us know. 

    I am sure your post will be invaluable! Glad to hear a few of you, at least, are safe  :)
  • suzylou
    suzylou Online Community Member Posts: 21 Contributor
    Thanks for info.That is worrying if that happens. Thank goodness no banking app on phone. Am quite gullible and not great with technology. Im new here but been a member for awhille. First time posting.
  • L_Volunteer
    L_Volunteer Community Volunteer Adviser, Scope Member Posts: 7,922 Championing
    It is lovely to see you have started posting @suzylou. It sounds really positive that there is no banking app on phone.

    Please don't hesitate to let us know if we can do anything to help. We are all here for you and listening to you  :)

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