Locks and Security News: your weekly locks and security industry newsletter
24th April 2024 Issue no. 702

Your industry news - first

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Track and Trace app could increase 'smishing'

On the news that the new 'Track and Trace' app could lead to an increase in SMS-based phishing - known as 'smishing', Toni Vitale, Partner and Head of Data Protection at JMW Solicitors, says:

"Europol recently sent out an alert warning citizens to be on the look-out for Covid related phishing (scam emails) and smishing (scan texts). Often the text messages and emails look identical to messages from a reputable organisation (such as a medical or governmental institution), sound urgent and ask you to click attachments and links.

"There are ways to avoid being scammed, you should always check the address for details that wouldn't normally be present in an official email (often the spelling and grammar are suspect), don't click links, open attachments or reply and never give out any financial information.

"The tracing app is not yet operational in the UK, in the Isle of Wight trials there were a number of fraudulent smishing texts sent to islanders. You should report any suspicious messages to Action Fraud and report suspected spam text texts to their mobile network provider by forwarding them to 7726."

17th June 2020