Text message about fraud

  • Shar's Avatar
    I received tonight a text appearing to be from tesco bank telling me I was about to get a 2nd text message from another mobile number and to follow instructions. The second message asked me to confirm Y or N whether a transaction on my credit card was OK. I logged in to my online account to check settings and that told me that there should be a password included at the start of any text message from tesco bank so I would know the text is genuine. That wasn't there. I called the customer service number on my cc and the woman confirmed that the mobile number WAS tesco bank's fraud service. I found this all a bit disturbing i) none of this procedure is detailed anywhere on the tesco website, ii) the mobile number is not listed anywhere (and why a mobile number and not something that appears more genuine) and iii) that the security check I'd set up (use of a password) was not adopted. I'm now nervous that I've been scammed. Can you confirm that the number given **sensitive info removed**0 is actually ok and why it isn't on your main site?
  • 2 Replies

  • VanessaM3's Avatar
    Employee
    Hi @Shar, when Tesco Bank sends a text from our fraud team there is no password included in this; the text messages that include passwords are the alerts that you set up yourself online, for example your payment is due in 5 days or you are near your credit limit. Sorry this isn’t clearer on our website. The number you have sent in your message has been removed from your post due to it being sensitive information. Can you confirm again the last 5 digits of the number, with spaces between each digit so I can check and confirm that it is a genuine Tesco Bank number? Thanks :)


  • Shar's Avatar
    Many thanks for the reply - I find it odd that the very category of texts that might be most linked to fraudulent activity are the ones that don't use the password. I do think that the info on the website relating to security and credit cards could be clearer. I had a very anxious hour or so trawling around the website looking for the correct information - and of course googling the scenario of having been texted by someone claiming to be tescobank with the invitation to text back another mobile number. Other websites were reporting this exact activity as being a known approach used by fraudsters, so it seems very sensible to have your security team's mobile number listed on the website so that we can see that it IS genuine without adding to any delay and increasing the stress levels. The mobile number sent ended 2 0 4 6 0. I think I am now reassured that it is genuine. The other thing which made me nervous when phoning tesco bank was the first part of the recorded message which answers when we call which sounds very much like (and I have listened to it now several times) 'we take your security very serious' It may be a small point, but having a statement which is not grammatically correct didn't instil confidence and made me more worried that the whole thing was a scam.best wishes, S