On this page we get to learn a bit more about the way smishing (phishing using text) scammers operate thanks to a report made by a Twitter user named Pete Edwards. He first reported the scam to HSBC over Twitter on the 13th of September 2020. The number he received the text from was 07310699534. You will also note that the text includes a dodgy looking link to a website called account payment cancel. In this case exact page is to cancel a payment from a HSBC account. Although it does give many signals of being a scam, some vulnerable people or those caught off guard could easily click the link and interact with this scam website.
Oh no. A fraudulent payment from my non existent @HSBC_UK bank account has been detected. Phishing scam alert. pic.twitter.com/NvQWKVP9AD
— Pete Edwards🏴 (@MrPeteEdwards) September 13, 2020
What happens if I click on the link?
Although the tweeter Pete Davison had not fallen for the scam and is not a HSBC Bank user, out of curiosity he clicked on the link and was presented with the screen below:
Which funnily enough takes me here.. not @HSBC_UK web site of course .. https://t.co/MxmVExERCi [DO NOT CLICK] pic.twitter.com/DdxEkQJPxL
— Pete Edwards🏴 (@MrPeteEdwards) September 13, 2020
This is clearly not the HSBC website; they are trying to get you to provide your HSBC bank login details so that they can use them to commit fraud. Mr Edwards’ detective work then reveals that the website used to imitate the HSBC website had been registered on the same day he received the text:
Domain registered today. Using @Namecheap pic.twitter.com/B88iT8cDgd
— Pete Edwards🏴 (@MrPeteEdwards) September 13, 2020
What should I do if I get a text from 07310699534?
You should not interact with any communication from the number 07310699534 at all other than to take a screenshot and delete. You can then report to the HSBC phishing reporting email: HSBC@phishing.co.uk