Anyone with a smartphone in their pocket should remember a very simple 4-digit number.As most of us are well aware, scams continue to be a major issue for all of us, but we can all do our little bit to protect ourselves and stop others from being tricked by cyber crooks.The team at Action Fraud has just issued the reminder that UK phone owners can send any suspicious messages they receive to a dedicated helpline free of charge.
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Read our Privacy Policy Everyone using Windows 11 must check PC setting after 'critical' alert UK homes must check TV settings now or risk channel blackout Once a scam is spotted, it can be forwarded to the number 7726, where checks by specialists are made, and blocks are put in place to prevent it from being sent to others.Article continues below ADVERTISEMENTSo far, more than 40,000 scams have been removed simply because the public took the time to forward messages to the service.In a post on X, Action Fraud said: Received a text message you think is a scam?Report it.Forward the message to 7726 (it's free of charge).
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT"Over 40,700 scams have been removed as a result of suspicious text messages reported by the public." Article continues below ADVERTISEMENTThere are plenty of ways to spot scams, including watching out for a sense of urgency or spotting spelling mistakes in messages.Clicking on embedded links is also a bad idea, and it's never wise to hand over personal information that's been asked for via a message.It's also important to beware of so-called "Hi mum" scams, which attempt to trick people into handing over money by posing as a family member in distress.Missed parcel texts, parking fine warnings and subscriptions being cancelled are also attacks that continue to catch people out.Just recently, Express.co.uk was contacted by a worried reader after they received a message from a parking company saying they hadn't paid for a recent visit."Our records show that your vehicle exited the car park yesterday at 20:10," the text read."Payment for this parking session has not yet been received.Please enter your vehicle registration number to view your parking session."Having checked it out, we found it was an elaborate scam that was attempting to steal credit card details.If you aren't sure, don't respond.If a company issues an urgent text and you are worried, simply call their official number and chat with a member or staff.
Alternatively, log in and check your online account, as this will show if there really is anything wrong.And remember, if you spot a scam, send it to 7726 as it could help protect someone else in the future.
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