A scam warning has been issued as experts say fraudsters could take advantage of this weekend's emergency alert test message.
A 'siren-like' noise is set to sound from all UK phones on Sunday, April 23, and people will have to respond to the alert by swiping it away. The noise is a UK-wide test of the government's Emergency Alert System, which will be used in 'danger to life' events like floods and fires.
However, experts at Which? are warning that this alert could be taken advantage of by fraudsters who could trick people into clicking dodgy links.
Lisa Webb, Which? Scams Expert, said: "Scammers will use any hook they can to try and steal money and personal information from victims, and unfortunately the government’s upcoming nationwide test of its new Emergency Alerts system will be no exception."
The expert explains that no action besides swiping the alert is required, and so anything asking you to download or click on links to switch off the alert could be a scam.
Lisa continued: "If you are asked to download an app or provide information, this is likely to be an unscrupulous fraudster trying to trick you and should be ignored at all costs.
"The government has said it will be including a website link with more information about the alerts in the message it sends out, but it’s worth considering looking this information up separately through the official government website rather than risking clicking on lookalike links from fraudsters."
She urged anyone who sees anything that looks suspicious this Sunday to report it to 7726. And if you do respond to an alert which you find out is fake, contact your bank immediately.
Separate research carried out by fact-checking service Full Fact has confirmed that the alert will be a notification, and not a text message that you need to reply to.
The service also got confirmation from the UK Government that phone calls won't go to voicemail if you haven’t acknowledged the alert and the alert won’t stop a phone call in progress. This means that any texts and phone calls claiming to be the test alert are fake and likely scams.
Pippa Allen-Kinross, Online Editor at Full Fact, said, "We have seen multiple instances in which bad information about the emergency alert has already been shared thousands of times online.
"Be careful what you share on social media. Misinformation about this alert may lead to unnecessary alarm, and in some instances, may even cause people to opt out of future alerts based on incorrect information."
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