Brexit themed text message scam circulating around the UK

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) reported that it had received evidence of a text scam themed around the UK's exit from the European Union which reads: “We need to verify your identity to keep up with EU standards".

The message then instructs the recipient that "to avoid restrictions" they must visit a website to upload their personal details.

The text is part of a phishing scam attempting to use the United Kingdom's exit from the EU as a cover for stealing personal information.

In what is an extremely vulnerable time for millions of people, this scam hits the public at the same time that Covid-19-themed scams are active.

Katherine Hart, a Lead Officer at CTSI, said: "Scammers are using public uncertainty over the Brexit deal to obtain crucial personal details which could put people's bank accounts at risk of being stolen.

"The Covid-19 pandemic has seen many different scams target the public along those lines, while Brexit is providing another theme for scammers to use.

"It is vital that the public reports these messages to the authorities, and especially any websites connected to them. Doing so provides essential intelligence and enables the

authorities to take down malicious websites and fraud networks swiftly."

If you think you have received a scam text message, you should contact Police Scotland immediately.

To report email scams, contact the National Cyber Security Centre by emailing [email protected]

For consumer advice, call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.

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