People in Scotland are being warned not to ignore a text from the Metropolitan Police, as they send out 70,000 messages UK-wide to help crack down on fraud.
Typically, a text from an official source like the police rings warning bells in many people's heads, as it is normally a scam. However, the Mirror reports that people are being warned not to ignore the messages from the Metropolitan Police.
The police force is sending out text messages over the next 48 hours to 70,000 people who may have been targeted. This news comes after the British police were involved in a huge operation to crack down on "number-spoofing".
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This is when scammers change their caller ID to hide their identity. They then normally change their display name or number to look like a legitimate organisation, such as your bank.
It is believed that up to 200,000 people in the UK were scammed out of £50 million by fraudsters, using a website called iSpoof. Criminals were reported to have paid a subscription to iSpoof to use the technology to trick victims into believing they were being called by someone else.
The website - which saw as many as 20 people every minute being targeted by fraudsters - was described by police as an online fraud shop. One unfortunate victim lost £3 million alone, and the average loss among the 4,785 people who have reported being targeted to Action Fraud is £10,000.
The website has since been shut down and so far 120 arrests have been made - 103 in London and 17 outside the capital. Detective Superintendent Helen Rance, who leads on cyber crime for the Met, said: "By taking down iSpoof we have prevented further offences and stopped fraudsters targeting future victims.
"Our message to criminals who have used this website is we have your details and are working hard to locate you, regardless of where you are."
So, how do you know if it was the real Metropolitan Police that sent you a message? Read on below to find out more.
How to tell if you've received a genuine text from the Met Police
The police will only text potential scam victims between today and tomorrow - November 24 and 25. So, any text after these dates are definitely a scam.
The message will ask you to visit the Met Police website. However, the message will not include a direct link, like most scam messages do.
Instead, you'll need to manually type in the address yourself on a search browser. This is to eradicate clicking links and having information stolen easily.
However, if you think you have been contacted by a scammer, you should never reveal any personal details. Hang up immediately and search for the contact details online of the place you're reportedly being called from.
Call up the company or bank with the number you found yourself to check if the call was legitimate. Never call back the number provided by the caller. You should also call the 159 hotline and report the scam to Action Fraud.
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