One of the most common phishing strategies in 2020 is the New Payee text. The HSBC new payee text scam targets UK citizens with an unsolicited text including a link to a phishing website that is designed to look like the real HSBC website.
What number will the HSBC scam texts be sent from?
HSBC scam texts will usually arrive from a normal looking UK mobile phone number, such as +447506123639 (number reported 25th October 2020). These scam texts include a warning that a payment has been made from a HSBC bank account to a new payee.
What message do the HSBC scam texts contain?
These scam text messages usually begin with a warning that a new payee has been added to your HSBC online banking. It then asks the person who receives the text to visit the HSBC website if you don’t recognise it. However the link that they provide is not the real HSBC website. In the example below the HSBC scam text refers to a payee called Mrs J Sharif. It then links to a website called: hsbc-recent-payee(.)com
HSBC Phishing Texts Scam Websites
The real HSBC website can be found at: hsbc.co.uk
HSBC scam text messages invariably share a link to a site that is set up to look like the real HSBC site. However, in most cases the domain of the site is far different than the real site. For example the website hsbc-recent-payee is clearly not the same site as the HSBC.co.uk site.
However if you click through the link you are taken to a site that looks similar to the real site. Scam sites like hsbc-recent-payee ( .) com are designed to look like the real thing so potential victims feel secure in inputting their personal and bank details.
In fact the site HSBC-recent-payee (.) com site was actually set up only two months before the HSBC scam text from the number +447506123639 was sent. Below we can see more details about this website:
What should I do if I receive a HSBC scam text?
If you receive a text from HSBC informing you there has been a payment to a new payee from your HSBC website you should be very careful. If you think it looks suspicious, do not use any of the contact details provided and most importantly don’t follow any of the links. These HSBC scam texts are very dangerous and if you are not planning of reporting the number then just delete and block the number.
How can I report a scam HSBC new payee text?
These texts can be reported directly to HSBC by email on phishing@hsbc.co.uk
HSBC Scam Text Numbers
| Number | Date Reported |
| 447421193881 |
18/02/2021 |
| 447366880790 |
02/11/2020 |
| 07778051541 |
29/10/2020 |
| 447961413172 | 26/10/2020 |
| 447960250167 |
27/10/2020 |