On a phone’s keypad, the numbers 7726 spell out “spam.”
In 2014, phone companies launched this free service.
Every month, over seven million Americans receive more than ten scam texts.
According to Ofcom’s research, eight out of ten people are unaware that 7726 exists.
I’ve apparently missed a delivery as well as a call from my employer. There are two text messages on my phone informing me of this, but no missed calls. I’m not anticipating any packages, either.
You may have guessed by now that both of these texts are scams that are infecting our phones.
I dutifully forwarded these texts to the number 7726, like a model citizen.
The digits 7726 spell out’spam’ on a phone’s keypad, and this free service was offered by phone companies in 2014.
The idea is that by sending fraudulent SMS, your mobile operator will be alerted and will investigate — and block — the number.
The information can then be passed on to law enforcement and national security organisations, who can connect the dots and track down the people who sent them.
But I wasn’t sure if my efforts were making an impact until now. Is someone actually doing anything with these communications, or do they just vanish into thin air?
Money Mail can now report that members of the public are helping to eradicate over 500 frauds per month by forwarding suspicious texts to 7726.
One deceptive SMS that was halted in its tracks invited readers to apply for an Omicron PCR test and directed them to a bogus NHS website.
Another ripped off the DHL logo and encouraged consumers to download an app to track their packages.
A third cleverly recreated Santander’s online banking sign-in, even including a blatant warning to users about coronavirus scams.
A phone ailment
Scam SMS are intended to catch you off guard while you’re in a hurry and not paying attention. If they thought it was from their employer, for example, many people would listen to a voicemail.
Victims are frequently duped into clicking on a link in the text that leads to a phoney website.
They can then use malware to infect a person’s phone and gain access to their personal information.
Alternatively, they may ask for personal information such as your age and home address via a bogus website.
They frequently use the phone to mimic bank employees or even police officials in order to deceive a victim into transferring money.
Details gathered earlier in the deception lend credibility to the scammers’ lies, and by the time victims realise it all started with a weird text, it’s too late.
According to data firms Electoral Calculus and Find Out Now, almost seven million Americans receive more than ten scam texts per month.
And for a sizable percentage, the consequences can be disastrous. People have given out personal information, including bank account passwords, and have incurred significant losses as a result.
According to the communications watchdog Ofcom, nearly one million consumers were duped by a scam message or phone call over a three-month period last autumn.
Forward-thinking
I started forwarding the phoney communications I’d received on to 7726 in dribs and drabs last year. But as the number of scam texts on my phone increased, so did my resolve to take action.
I forwarded three to 7726 in May alone, all of which were sent within days of each other. They were all derived from various numbers. I’ll admit that I’ve been guilty of simply deleting certain texts. As I previously stated, I was never sure if somebody on the other end of 7726 was picking them up.
But, since then, I’ve heard that the National Cyber Security Centre has eliminated over 12,000 scams submitted via 7726 in the last two years.
When you transfer a questionable text, your mobile network sends it to Proofpoint, a third-party analysis company. Last year, this company handled about one million fraudulent text messages per month.
The text messages are sifted and analysed by computer algorithms, but the stream of reports is monitored and fine-tuned on a regular basis by a staff of “threat engineers” and “data scientists.”
If a reported number is a nuisance — for example, if it contains a link to a fraudulent website — the networks are notified, and the number is blocked to safeguard other mobile phone customers.
To escape discovery, scammers frequently switch phones or SIM cards. As a result, your operator can also prevent the same material from being forwarded to different numbers.
When a scam text contains a link, the National Cyber Security Centre receives the web page address and can remove it from the internet.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) are also informed (SFO).
The ICO has the authority to take action against lawful businesses that send unwanted messages. In the meantime, the SFO has the ability to investigate and prosecute extraordinarily complex fraud cases.
However, there is still room for additional scammers to be caught. According to Ofcom’s research, eight out of ten people are unaware that 7726 exists.
And, given that almost everyone receives a phishing text at some point, the outcomes could be even better.
Its success is contingent on more individuals dialling 7726 whenever they receive a fraudulent message. It costs us nothing to contribute.
More information could possibly lead to criminal charges being filed against the perpetrators. At the moment, only a small percentage of scammers get prosecuted in court. Public actions, on the other hand, have aided in the eradication of some scams and the capture of perpetrators.
Text scammer Abdisalaam Dahir, a 20-year-old computer science student from Enfield, North London, was caught thanks to the 7726 service.
He was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for defrauding the public out of £185,000 by sending messages posing as Royal Mail and HMRC.
Teige Gallagher, 21, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison last year after receiving information from 7726.
He impersonated banks and the NHS in his bulk text messages to strangers.
How can I assist?
To forward a text, select ‘forward’ by pressing down firmly on the message. An arrow could be used to represent this.
If you respond to the message, the fraudster will know your phone number is active.
I’m not sure if my texts were effective, but I haven’t received any new messages in over two weeks.
So, for the time being, it appears that the fraudsters who have been targeting my phone have grown tired of it.
Fake SMS frequently prompt you to take action, such as clicking on a link, downloading an attachment, or dialling a phone number, according to Steve Wilson, head of cyber security software provider NortonLifeLock in the UK.
‘However, simply hitting a link in a text could result in the loss of personal data,’ he adds.
‘Be wary of unsolicited mailings regarding unpaid taxes, money refunds, and other updates that create a sense of urgency to act or promise monetary rewards.’
Meanwhile, dial 159 if you receive a questionable call claiming to be from your bank.
Since its introduction in September, this number has received over 75,000 calls.
Its primary goal at the moment is to protect clients by linking them directly to their bank. However, if the trial is a success, there are intentions to expand the service to assist in the detection of fraudsters in the future.
Barclays, the Co-operative, Lloyds, Nationwide Building Society, NatWest, Santander, Starling, and TSB are among the main banks that have signed up.
Visit takefive-stopfraud.org.uk for more information on how to protect yourself from fraud.
Scam emails can also be sent to report@phishing.gov.uk, which will be submitted to the National Cyber Security Centre.
