Vodafone & O2 Customers Warned About Scam Emails & Texts

Posted on April 13, 2017 by alexgloster in Community Safety, crime, Cybercrime, phishing, vishing, warwickshire, Young People // 0 Comments

VODAFONE and O2 customers have been told to look out for a number of scam emails which trick unsuspecting people into clicking dodgy links containing malware designed to steal bank details.

Customers who have received the emails are warned not to click any links.

The emails are said to look official and legitimate at first glance.

However, on closer inspection, they are littered with typos, grammatical errors and bad English – all of which would never be in an official email.

One email from O2, for example, says: “Now you have your bill for 07/04/17 been ready. This month you have £232.98 for payment. We will take it away from your account at the payment day, or a bit after.”

The Vodafone bill says: “Your latest Vodafone bill is ready for you to receive it online.”

Customers who receive suspicious messages – either by email or text – are encouraged to look closely at the contents for any red flags.

The email links contain malware that is automatically downloaded the minute the link is clicked, and is designed to steal bank account details.

Once installed, it infects the device and attempts to steal sensitive information from victims.

A spokesman for O2 said: “If anyone receives an email they suspect is a phishing scam they should not click on any of the links within it.

“At O2, customers can forward any such emails to phishing@o2.com so we can investigate and take action.”

Suspicious emails will often contain a number of red flags. These can include attachments or prompts to install software to your device, or be littered with grammatical errors.

Users are also told to look out for forged (or spoofed) email addresses that make it look like the email is coming from an official site, and reminded that official emails will never ask for your password or any other personal information.

If you’ve been a victim of fraud, report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040.

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Cyber Aware is a cross-government campaign, funded by the National Cyber Security Programme. They aim to measurably and significantly improve the online safety behaviour and confidence of consumers and small businesses (SMEs).

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