HSBC issues warning on digital wallet scam hitting UK customers | Personal Finance | Finance
HSBC has issued a warning to its customers about new fraudulent texts in circulation about digital wallets. This is the latest of many bank scams targeting customers as living costs surge. More than 40 million Britons have fallen victim to these types of scams this year so far, according to research by Citizens Advice, making it all the more important for people to know how to spot a scam and safeguard their personal information.
On the recent scam, HSBC warned: “Watch out for unexpected messages about your digital wallet, especially if you haven’t used it recently.”
The digital wallet is an app, like Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay, that allows people to store all of their payment details in one location.
HSBC continued: “Fraudsters are impersonating banks by sending texts saying there’s a problem with your digital wallet, or it’s been suspended or blocked.
“They’ll ask you to enter your personal details via a link, which they’ll use to access your accounts.”
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If a person receives a suspicious text from a bank, HSBC advises: “Don’t reply, open any links or enter any details.”
And if a customer thinks they’ve been scammed, HSBC urges to: “Call the number on the back of your HSBC card immediately.”
People can also report the messages by forwarding them for free to 7726.
Unfortunately, this is just one of the many smishing scams targeting UK consumers. An Evri fake delivery text is another prevalent scam sweeping the nation.
However, it said their SMS messages will never:
- Show the sender name as a mobile phone number
- Ask you for payment
- Include a link except for a tracking link called “https://evri.link/……”
But it notes: “Please be aware even if the link does show as ‘https:/evri.link/……’ we cannot guarantee this is genuine.
“If you are unsure, do not click a link and do not enter any personal details.”
