Delete this text message NOW! EE customers put on high alert over latest scam
EE mobile customers have been put on alert over fraudulent messages claiming their reward points are expiring
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The message claims you have unused reward points expiring soon
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If you've received a text message claiming you have expiring reward points, you may want to proceed with caution. Cybersecurity firm Bitdefender has put EE mobile customers on high alert over these fraudulent messages popping up on their phones.
"If you just got a text saying 12,739 EE reward points are about to expire in three days, pause," Bitdefender warned on Instagram. "That message is likely a scam."
The giveaway that the message is fake? EE doesn't offer a rewards programme to its customers.
The fake messages typically read something like: "The EE points program reminds you: Since you are a high-quality user of our company, we will give you some points as a gift. The points will expire in three working days."
The text is also accompanied by a link that the fraudster hopes you'll click on to claim your rewards.
However, the link doesn't take you to EE's real website. Instead, you land on a convincing fake site that's been built specifically to steal your login details. If successful, they can gain access to your personal information that can be used to impersonate you, drain your bank accounts, and more.
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These criminals are using a clever trick to make you think you're about to lose out on something valuable. And the deadline added to the message is a way for them to get you to act quickly without thinking about it.
"That urgency is the manipulation," Bitdefender explained.
Several EE customers have also reported receiving these dodgy messages.
One customer shared their experience on Reddit: "I had this text twice. The first time it caught me."
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Another user admitted, "First time in 26 years they finally got me. Just woke up and seen it thought that makes sense been with ee like 8 years. I entered me bank details but instantly cancelled card."
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Scams like this one have been on the rise. WhatsApp users were recently put on red alert for a similar scheme.
EE is aware of this type of scam and has set up a dedicated webpage to help you stay safe.
They've also confirmed they will never contact you about points via text or email, pressure you with deadlines to claim rewards, use unauthorised mobile numbers, or ask for your personal information through a message.
If you receive a suspicious text claiming to be EE, you can forward it to 7726, then delete it straight away.
It's also best practice to never click on unknown links in text messages. These links will often take you to fraudulent pages that will try to trick you into handing over your personal details.
Don't reply to suspicious messages, and don't call back the number that sent them. Oftentimes, fraudsters will also impersonate a family member or friend to get you to hand over your information.
You should only call them on a known number to verify if it's truly them trying to get in touch with you. A very similar scam attempt was spotted on WhatsApp last year.