{"id":331529,"date":"2025-08-09T21:37:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-09T21:37:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/331529\/"},"modified":"2025-08-09T21:37:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T21:37:14","slug":"everyone-with-an-iphone-or-android-told-dont-click-it-could-cost-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/331529\/","title":{"rendered":"Everyone with an iPhone or android told don’t click’ – it could cost you"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scammers are sending messages to smartphones and some are so simple they just begin with ‘Hello’ – but there is a way to avoid being caught out<\/p>\n

12:22, 09 Aug 2025Updated 12:23, 09 Aug 2025<\/p>\n

\"PersonUsers could be targeted by fake chats(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Fraudsters are constantly seeking fresh ways to trick us, and it seems the latest threat is emerging through ordinary text messages.<\/a> Research from Malwarebytes’ security experts<\/a> shows a dramatic rise in fake chats being sent to smartphones.<\/a><\/p>\n

Some simply start with a basic ‘Hello’, whilst others suggest the cybercriminal <\/a>already knows you. “Hi, I noticed your contact information is saved in my contacts, can you remind me where we talked before,” reads one message spotted by Malwarebytes.<\/p>\n

The aim behind these latest messages is to build a connection and gather personal information, which can then be used to steal data, reports the Express<\/a>. “As soon as you reply, the scammer will initiate a friendly conversation.<\/p>\n

\"WomanPeople are being urged to stay away from scam messages(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Their end goal will be to gain your trust and develop the relationship into a costly romance or investment scam,” Malwarebytes explained. Whilst it might seem unbelievable, these cons prove surprisingly successful.<\/p>\n

The infamous “Hi mum” trick – which poses as a family member in trouble – has led to hundreds of thousands of pounds being handed over to digital crooks across the UK alone.<\/p>\n

It’s now crucial that anyone owning an iPhone<\/a> or Android device stays alert, avoids replying, and steers clear of clicking any links sent by unknown contacts. Malwarebytes explained: “Responding confirms your number is active. It flags you as someone who reads texts and might engage and the scammer may sell or share your number.”<\/p>\n

\"YoungAnyone with an iPhone or Android phone has been urged to stay vigilant(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

If you receive a suspicious message, here’s some simple advice to follow:.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Scammers are sending messages to smartphones and some are so simple they just begin with ‘Hello’ – but…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":331530,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3159],"tags":[2061,1666,547,14849,3649,53,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-331529","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mobile","8":"tag-android","9":"tag-iphone","10":"tag-mobile","11":"tag-mobile-phones","12":"tag-smartphones","13":"tag-technology","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115000970059006616","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=331529"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331529\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/331530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=331529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=331529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=331529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}