Fake Lloyds texts claim a payment to easyJet and push you to call a number. Calling puts you straight through to a scammer, not the bank.
A text that looks like it is from Lloyds Bank says a payment of about £278.91 or £587.65 was just made to easyJet. If you do not recognize it, the text tells you to call a number. That number leads to a scammer, not the bank. UK customers are being warned about the scheme.
One example reads: "LLOYDS: 478203 is your OTP code for the payment to easyJet.co.uk for GBP £587.65. If you don't recognise this contact us on 03300590012." An OTP is a one-time passcode, the short code banks send to confirm a payment. Other versions include a link instead of, or as well as, a phone number.
The trick is the scare. You see a payment you never made and want to stop it fast. People who call are met by fraudsters who use high-pressure tactics to get online banking logins, PINs and personal details.
A Facebook user named Paul warned others after getting the text. He said he did not call the number in it. He called the bank instead, and was told the number belonged to a scammer. He added that the bank told him he had done the right thing.
The warning is aimed at Lloyds customers in the UK. Anyone who gets a text pretending to be from their bank is a possible target. If you got one and did nothing, you are fine. Ignoring it is enough, and the steps in the alert box above cover what to do next.
A second Lloyds-themed text is also going around. It claims an unfamiliar payment or Direct Debit has been put on hold and urges you to reply or call a number. It is the same trick with a different story.
The reports do not say how many people have received these texts or how many lost money. They also do not say how the scammers got hold of people's numbers. The pattern is clear, though. A message that rushes you to call a number is a reason to stop and check with your bank directly.
Never call a number from a text about your bank. Open the bank's app or use the number on the back of your card instead.
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