On July 7, Boris Johnson confirmed that he would be standing down as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
The announcement came after days of chaos which saw the support of his ministers and MPs collapse. Over 50 government ministers resigned in the wake of his latest scandal as leader of the country with more leaving the morning of his departure.
However with many roles now looking to be filled, a scam is now circulating telling members of the public they are now a part of the UK Prime Minister's cabinet.
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The text reads: "CONGRATULATIONS! You are now part of the UK Prime Minister's cabinet. Please respond with your location and a car will collect you momentarily. Reply 'STOP' if you wish to decline."
Whilst it may seem obvious that this is a scam, it's not as straight-forward as it seems with users being urged to reply to the text in order to stop getting the messages. However by replying, mobile phone users could be giving hackers access to personal information such as their email addresses, phone contacts, locations and even their credit or debit card information.
Amid the circulating scam, business comparison experts at Bionic have advised people on how to better protect themselves against cybersecurity attacks. And whilst it may seem obvious when it comes to scams and which ones to stay clear from, it was reported that £2.3bn was lost to scams last year, just like this one, showing that we still need to remain extra cautious - even if we think it's legit.
Les Roberts, Content Manager at Bionic has now provided guidance to the general public on how to better identify and avoid text scams like the above. He explains: "Scammers will often claim to be a high-ranking official in a governmental department or company and use convincing language that will make you want to reply.
"For example, they might offer you money or free products. Most recently, we've seen scammers jumping on the back of recent news to try and convince people that they've been offered a government job in the Prime Minister's cabinet.
"If you think a scam seems suspicious, go to the official body and reply directly. Do not reply to the text or email itself as you may be providing scammers with your personal data.
"Having personal details like your phone number and email address publicly available on social media or websites make you a much easier target for hackers. Ensure that this information is hidden so that you can better protect yourself.
"Always check the 'Info' section of who has texted you. This can provide insight into their phone number or email address. If their number is hidden, or if their email looks suspicious, you've likely been contacted by someone trying to steal your data and you should not reply. Report a scam text message to the NCSC."
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