Phishing does not only arrive by email. A scam text is smishing, and a scam phone call is vishing. Both feel more personal and more urgent than email, which is exactly why they work. A text about a missed delivery or a call from your bank's fraud team can catch out even careful people.
A caller ID or sender name can be faked
Scammers can make a text appear in the same thread as your real bank's messages, and can make a call display a genuine looking number. Seeing the right name is not proof of who you are speaking to.
No genuine bank asks you to move money to keep it safe
The safe account or holding account scam is a classic. A real bank will never ask you to transfer your balance somewhere else, read out a full one time code, or install remote access software so they can help.
Hang up and call back on a number you trust
If a call worries you, end it, wait a moment, then ring the number on the back of your card or on the company's official site. Use a different phone if you can, because a scammer can stay on the line and pretend to be the new call.
Do not tap links in unexpected texts
Delivery, tax refund, and parcel fee texts almost always lead to a fake page that harvests your card details. If you are expecting a parcel, check on the courier's real website or app, not the link in the text.
Report it, it genuinely helps
In the UK you can forward suspicious texts to 7726 (free) and report scams to Action Fraud. Reporting feeds the systems that get these numbers and pages taken down.
Red flags to watch for
- A text with a link about a missed delivery, unpaid toll, or small fee to release a parcel.
- A caller who creates urgency, then asks you to move money or install software.
- Anyone asking you to read out a one time passcode, PIN, or full password.
- Pressure not to hang up, or not to tell branch staff or family.
- A number or link you cannot match to something you already hold, like a statement or a saved contact.
- An offer, refund, or prize you did not apply for.
Check yourself
0/31.Someone calls saying they are from your bank's fraud team. Your account is at risk and you should move your balance to a new safe account they will set up. What do you do?
2.You get a text: Your parcel could not be delivered, pay a 1.45 pound redelivery fee at this link. You are expecting a parcel. What is safest?
3.Why can you not rely on the caller ID or the text sender name to confirm who is contacting you?
This is general guidance, not a substitute for advice on your specific setup. Want a hand putting it into practice? Talk to us or see our care plans.