Imagine receiving a text message claiming you’ve racked up nearly 13,000 reward points from your mobile provider—points you never knew existed. Sounds too good to be true? That’s because it is. This is the latest tactic scammers are using to trick unsuspecting users into handing over their personal and banking details. But here’s where it gets even more alarming: these fraudulent messages are disguised so convincingly—complete with official logos and urgent expiration warnings—that they’ve already ensnared hundreds of thousands of people.
Here’s how it works: You receive a text alerting you to a rewards program you’ve supposedly been part of, offering high-value items like massage chairs or vacuum cleaners in exchange for your points. All you need to do is pay a small postage fee. Sounds tempting, right? But this is the part most people miss—the entire scheme is a cleverly crafted scam designed to steal your sensitive information. Recently, major providers like EE and Vodafone have been impersonated in these fraudulent messages, leaving many users confused and vulnerable.
A spokesperson for EE revealed that over 265,000 people have reported these fake texts since the scam surfaced two months ago. What’s more, EE doesn’t even operate a points-based rewards program. Vodafone, on the other hand, does have a rewards scheme called VeryMe Rewards, but they’ve confirmed they never use the term “Vodafone Rewards Club,” which appears in some of the scam messages. And this is where it gets controversial—the scammers are using RCS (Rich Communication Services), a more advanced messaging system than SMS, making it harder for providers to block these fraudulent texts.
For instance, EE admitted they’re unable to block RCS messages, unlike SMS, and are working with tech giants like Apple and Google to tackle the issue. Vodafone noted that most of their customers aren’t receiving these texts because RCS isn’t enabled on iPhones by default. However, users on other networks are still at risk. The messages often read something like this: ‘Your Vodafone Reward Points are expiring in 3 days. Act now to redeem 12,739 points before they’re gone!’ or ‘EE Reminder: Your 12,739 Reward Points expire in 3 days. Visit the link to claim your prize.’
One EE user who fell for the scam described clicking the link and being directed to a seemingly legitimate site. After entering their bank details to ‘redeem’ a prize, the page simply refreshed to a blank screen with a spinning icon—a classic sign of fraud. Here’s the kicker: scammers use a sense of urgency, claiming your points will expire in just a few days, to pressure you into acting impulsively. It’s a tactic as old as time but still incredibly effective.
So, what should you do if you receive one of these messages? Don’t click the link. Instead, report it as spam immediately. EE recommends pressing the ‘report spam’ button on your phone or forwarding the message to 7726 for free. If you’ve already shared personal details, contact your bank right away and report the incident to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud).
But here’s a thought-provoking question: As technology advances, will scammers always stay one step ahead, or can providers and users finally outsmart them? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—are you concerned about these scams, or do you think we’re overreacting? The conversation starts here.
