HOW TO AVOID AND PREVENT SCAMS

What are the common types of scams?

Scams come in the form of emails, letters, calls or text messages often called phishing, vishing or smishing. These are all fraudulent attempts to obtain your sensitive information like usernames, passwords and credit card details.

• Email phishing - emails from supposed companies wanting to access your personal or financial information. Often, they try to corrupt your computer with a virus to access information.
• Voice phishing – calls made by people supposedly from companies you do business with.
• Vishing – calls made with an automated voice recording often asking you to call a number or press options on your phone.
• Smishing – suspicious text messages that contain malicious links or information requiring you to respond.

How do I identify a scam?

Scams get ever more sophisticated, making them harder to spot. However, there are some tell-tale signs you can keep an eye out for:

• They use an urgent tone and state that urgent action is required.
• You’re asked to provide sensitive personal or financial information.
• You’re asked to call an unknown number, click on a link or reply to the message. If you're unsure, contact the company it's claiming to be using a genuine number from a statement or the official website.
• E-mails or SMS containing unrecognisable links or spelling errors.
• E-mail addresses are different to ones on a trusted company's website.
• Unexpected contact from a company that you have no business with.
• No padlock sign on a website and no https:// at the beginning of a web address.

If you receive a missed call from a number you don’t recognise, think twice before calling it back, and check whether it’s a chargeable number.

IMPORTANT: At EE, we'll never ask you for your PIN or password by text or email.

What do I do if I’ve received a scam message, email, or call?

It’s really important that you don’t interact with any scam messages or calls. Receiving a suspicious message won’t harm you, however interacting with it can allow fraudsters to access information that they can then use to scam you.

Don’t interact with any suspicious message, report it using these methods:

• If you’ve received a text, forward it (including the phone number or company name it was sent from) to 7726 free of charge so we can investigate it.
• Forward suspicious emails to: report@phishing.gov.uk. The UK's National Cyber Security Team will analyse it and, if its suspicious, act on it.
• If suspicious emails refer to EE, please also forward them to us at: phishing@ee.co.uk.
• Always delete the message after reporting it.

If you’ve accidentally interacted with a suspicious message:

• If you think your bank details have been compromised contact your bank immediately.
• Make sure any anti-virus software you have on your device is up to date.
• Reset all passwords, especially for your email address, as your device may be compromised.
• If you think your My EE has been compromised, change your password straight away.

What can I do to prevent scams?

Here are few easy wins that can help keep you and your information safe from fraudsters:

• Trust your instincts. If something looks suspicious, there’s probably a catch.
• Keep your browser software up to date and always use spam filters where possible.
• Keep your security software and firewalls up to date.
• Avoid risky sites, including supposed investment sites.
• Never click on a link in an email from an unknown source.
• Never give out your personal details, passwords or security codes.
• Don't give out personal login details or access to your computer to anyone.