By - Scammers are targeting pensioners with phishing scams
- Fake winter fuel support texts have been sent to trick victims
- Phishing scams are on the rise, increasingly targeting older victims
With the cost of living crisis and the recent introduction of a means tested winter fuel payment, many in the UK are looking for guidance and support this winter- but scammers are taking advantage of the confusion by sending fake ‘winter heating allowance’ and ‘cost of living support’ texts.
The texts have been sent to UK residents, encouraging the recipient to click on a link that takes them to a webpage made to mimic the official GOV.UK website, where they are prompted to fill in a form with personal information and payment details.
Scammers often try to create a sense of urgency to panic victims into action without the time to think through the implications or details that may look out of place. This scam is no different, with the text telling victims that this is the ‘last notice’ before the deadline.
600 domains identified
Researchers from BleepingComputer identified 597 unique domains related to this campaign, which shows how far reaching the threat is. Similar campaigns have been observed in Lancashire and Belfast, using fake regional support networks to trick victims.
“Please note that the government has decided that the Winter heating_allowance and Cost of Living_support for 2024 have been fully implemented, you have met the requirements,” the text obtained by researchers reads.
“Please be sure to fill in the application information as soon as possible, we will release the money to you within 3days, please note that check, this will be the last notice to you, the online application channel deadline is November 12,” it continued.
By promising a payout but imposing a fake deadline, the scammers create a false sense of urgency so that victims don’t are hurried into entering sensitive information.
Phishing scams are on the rise, and are becoming harder to spot, we always recommend taking your time, not clicking any links from untrusted sources, and always getting a second opinion if you aren’t sure.
Via BleepingComputer
