It was a regular Tuesday morning when Sophie, a 34-year-old nurse from Manchester, reached for her phone after waking up. As usual, she began scrolling through her notifications when she noticed something odd, a message that said,
“Royal Mail: Your parcel is waiting. Confirm delivery details here.”
She had ordered a few items online recently, so it didn’t feel entirely out of place. But as she stared at the link then something didn’t feel right.
That was her first encounter with a Fake Text Message.
It Looks Real, But Something Feels Off
The message seemed urgent and even used the proper branding. But the website link wasn’t familiar, it had strange characters and numbers, unlike the official Royal Mail website. Sophie didn’t click it right away. Instead, she searched the link online, and it took only a few seconds to discover it was a widely reported scam.
Every day, countless people across the UK get tricked by scam messages like these. They mimic well-known organisations like banks, the NHS, DVLA, or courier services. But when you look closely, you’ll often find poor grammar, suspicious links, or urgent instructions, all red flags. The main goal of these fraudsters is to scare or rush you into clicking the link before you think.
What Is a Ghost Text Message?
Later that same week, Sophie received another strange message, but this one was completely blank. No sender name, no message content, just an empty notification. She was confused, but curious. These are what experts call ghost text messages.
They’re not just technical glitches. Sometimes, scammers use them to test if your number is active. If your phone reacts, or worse, if you respond, you might confirm your number is in use, putting yourself on the scammer’s radar for future attacks.
Can a Scammer Get Your Info If You Reply?
It might feel harmless to reply with something like “Who’s this?” or “Stop texting me”, but in the digital world, even a single word can expose you. By replying, you’re letting the scammer know that a real person is behind the screen. From there, they might try to get more personal information or send dangerous links that steal your data.
Even a simple response can give them access to more than you realise. It’s always safer to stay silent and block the number immediately.
What to Do When a Random Number Texts You
Let’s say you’re out shopping, and your phone buzzes with a message from a number you’ve never seen. It might say your PayPal account is locked or your delivery is delayed. The key is not to panic.
Don’t click anything. Don’t reply. Instead, ask yourself, Was I expecting this message? If not, open your browser, visit the official website of the service mentioned in the message, and check for any notifications there. Legitimate companies never ask for personal info via SMS.
That’s how Sophie handled it. She didn’t take the bait, and you shouldn’t either.
Reporting a Fake Text Message
Spotting a Fake Text Message is just the first step, the next is reporting it so others don’t fall for it too. In the UK, it’s simple. Just forward the message to 7726, a free service used by mobile networks to block scam texts. It only takes a second and could protect someone else.
You can also report it to Action Fraud, the national cybercrime and fraud reporting service. The more people report, the better these fake operations can be tracked down and shut off.
Final Thoughts
The reality is, scammers are getting smarter, but so can we. It only takes a moment to stop, think, and question a suspicious message. Sophie’s quick thinking saved her from falling victim to a scam, and now she always double-checks before clicking.
The next time you get a strange message, just remember: if it feels wrong, it probably is. That’s how you spot a Fake Text Message, in just a few seconds.
Read more blogs – https://scamfreeworld.com/call-forwarding-scams/