Three UK Warn of SURGE in Mobile Scams Over Black Friday and XMas

Mobile operator Three UK has warned consumers to be extra cautious around the festive season due to a significant increase in fraudsters targeting mobile users. The operator noted how, at the same time last year, their network tracked a 300% increase in scams around Black Friday and a 500% uptick in fraud or SMS-based scams reported over Christmas.

The good news is that Three UK’s network firewall blocked more than 7.6 million scam messages during November and December last year, but the operator notes that reports of similar scams are already up over a third during the past three months of 2024 versus the previous three months. Since January 2024, Three has also observed monthly reported volumes of scam messages, on average 170,000 messages more than in 2023.

In a complementary poll by Censuswide, commissioned by Three UK, nearly half (47%) of respondents revealed they have received messages or calls they are suspicious of and 33% admitted they have fallen for a scam, while nearly one in five (17%) have lost more than £100 as a result.

Perhaps surprisingly, younger people appear to be the most affected, with 49% of respondents under 34 saying that they have fallen for a scam, compared with only 16% of those aged 55 or over. The poll revealed Brits are also on high alert when looking out for scams, with 83% of people blocking or reporting scam messages and 78% saying that they know how to spot the warning signs.

Mark Fitzgerald, Director of Finance and Fraud at Three UK, said:

“The British public are being increasingly savvy and will be seeking out deals over the next few months, but this also increases the risk of falling victim to fraud. At Three UK, we are doing all we can to prevent this from happening but in the event customers are targeted they should remember to follow our simple guidelines.”

Consumers can report a scam call by texting 7726 with the word ‘CALL’ followed by the scam caller’s number, and report a message by clicking SPAM in the messaging application or forward message to 7726 if this option is not available on the device.

Three’s Tips – What to do if you receive a suspicious call/contact:

➤ Never share personal information. Legitimate companies will never ask for sensitive information such as your bank details, passwords, or PINs over the phone or via SMS. If you’re asked for this information, it’s a red flag. Do not disclose any personal details.

➤ Verify the caller’s identity. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from a trusted organisation, ask for their name, department, and a callback number. Then, verify their identity by calling the organisation’s official number, which you should be able to find on their website. Do not use any contact details provided by the caller.

➤ Install call blocking and SMS filtering apps. These apps can help identify and block potential spam and fraudulent contacts, reducing the risk of falling victim to scams.

➤ Be wary of links in text messages. Fraudulent SMS messages often contain links to phishing websites designed to steal your information. Avoid clicking on any links in unsolicited messages. Instead, manually enter the website’s address in your browser or use the official app.