This sneaky text message appears to come from Revolut and asks you to authorise a scheduled payment or warns that a new device has been set up on your account.
The scammer phishes for your personal information by tricking you into calling them to give over your details.
Find out how to spot, avoid and report this scam.
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Revolut impersonation text scam
Revolut customers have reported receiving a convincing scam text message telling them that their payment has been scheduled.
One version of the scam text message we've seen says:
‘Your payment has been scheduled for £650.00 to S ASHFIELD. To be paid on 30/07 at 13.00.’
‘If you did NOT set this up call us on 03309127584. REF: 89076.’
While many people received this message, others got texts claiming to be from Revolut and stating a new Galaxy S6 or other device has been added to their account or a transaction has been attempted.
Recipients of this message all mention the same number appearing in the text message.
The number has been searched over 1,000 times according to who-calls.me.uk and reports on the website also show that calls from this number started on 29 July 2022.
A spokesperson from Revolut told Which?: 'We did not send this text, and the number has been spoofed. We are a member of UK Finance which is a signatory to the SMS SenderID Protection Registry.'
Revolut added that it's fully aware of the risk the entire industry faces of customers being targeted by scammers. That's why it works with cross-industry and government groups, as well as regulators, to ensure it's sharing best practice and advice on identifying scams and measures to safeguard customers from harm.
Revolut also explained it has controls in place to prevent scams, as well as advice to customers:
- If you receive a text message from someone claiming to be from Revolut and you think it’s suspicious, or if you’re ever unsure, get in touch through the Revolut app.
- If Revolut calls you about your personal account, it will always let you know in advance through the app and it will never call or text you out of the blue.
- If you are ever concerned, get in touch before completing a transaction using the secure in-app chat so that you can be confident you’re speaking directly to Revolut.
Read more: Bank transfer fraud victims lose £28,000 an hour
Spotting text message scams
Scammers use many different types of messaging systems to try to scam you out of your money. By using identity-masking technology to change the sender name, scammers can make their messages look like legitimate organisations, this is known as ‘number spoofing’.
Here are some tips to help spot a text scam:
- The message requests urgent payment, details or your authorisation – genuine organisations shouldn't ask you to do this via text message.
- It contains a link – does the website address match that of the organisation the message is claiming to be from?
- There are spelling errors or odd wording –if the message doesn't make sense, then take that as a red flag.
We've been calling on companies to improve the way they communicate with their customers over text message. In our best SMS practice guide, we advise companies to protect their numbers from being spoofed by signing up to the SMS SenderID Protection Registry, among other recommendations.
Avoid text message scams
If you bank with Revolut, you can verify any contact you receive by using its in-app chat function or email it at formalcomplaints@revolut.com.
Any texts you receive that claim to be from well-known companies or organisations should be treated with caution. Don’t click on any links in text messages and avoid calling any numbers mentioned. Instead, make sure you verify the information outlined in the text by logging into your account or calling the company's official number.
To help prevent scams from spreading further, you can report suspicious texts by forwarding them to 7726 – this is a free scam reporting service operated by telecoms companies.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/watch-out-for-this-new-text-scam-impersonating-revolut-aMOPV9m1xlpH