Scammers target broadband hub users
No matter how you get online or what devices you use, you can be sure scammers will try to reach you. One target is broadband hubs.
Broadband hubs are increasingly popular as they provide faster mobile network internet speeds – this is useful if your home broadband is slow and fixed-line, or you need remote web access.
Some users are being targeted with fake texts, pretending to be from their internet provider.
Read on to find out what this scam looks like, how it works and how to avoid it.
Sign up for scam alerts
Our emails will alert you to scams doing the rounds, and provide practical advice to keep you one step ahead of fraudsters.
Sign up for scam alerts
Broadband hub scams
Broadband hub users have been targeted with scam texts warning about overdue payments and overuse penalty charges.
These messages are designed to trick you into handing over personal and banking details, or money.
Three customer and hub user Tommy Davies* was close to giving away his personal and debit card details after reading messages sent to his hub.
When using the Three app on his phone to reset his hub, he noticed 17 unread messages.
‘All demanded payment for exceeding my data usage allowance, and warned my connection may be cut if I didn’t pay,’ he says. ‘I live on a boat and rely on my hub to get online. I was worried so I followed the instructions.’
One of the messages linked to a fake website asking him to update his payment details to settle his bill.
Something didn’t seem right, so Tommy contacted Three directly to check his account. The messages were confirmed as fakes.
We contacted Three. It said it would investigate and wanted to reassure people that the scammers didn’t know which Sim numbers are used for data hubs. It said that these messages are sent on a mass scale so if any is received by a hub user that is an unfortunate coincidence.
* Not his real name
- Find out: best broadband deals of 2024
How this scam works
Broadband hubs work in the same way as the internet connection on your mobile phone. You use a Sim card to get online.
To set up and operate the hub, and change your settings, you usually need to use your provider’s phone app – which also receives any texts the Sim in your hub receives.
Scammers can send fake texts to the Sim card used by your hub.
These messages may be delivered to your phone via your network provider’s app – which makes it look like they’ve been sent by your provider.
It’s known as a phishing scam, similar to common text message scams you’ve probably received on your mobile – for example, scam texts that claim you’ve missed a package delivery.
However, as the criminals refer to data services, it makes this scam very convincing to broadband hub users.
- Read more: how to spot a text scam
3 ways you can outsmart the scammers
Any device that uses a Sim card is vulnerable to phishing attempts like this, including tablets and some smart devices.
Here are three top tips to avoid these scams:
- Don't panic - the messages are worded with urgency, to make you worry and take action. They can threaten to charge you more than expected due to an exceeded allowance or unpaid bill. Often they’ll warn of the loss of your service
- Don't click on links - the links usually take you to websites that have been created to harvest your personal and payment information. If you're worried it's a genuine message, close it and use another method to contact the company. Such as ringing the phone number on the website
- Be wary of unexpected messages - especially those asking for unexpected payments. If you suspect it's legitimate, contact the company directly, just to make sure.
A version of this article originally featured in the February issue of Which? Tech Magazine. Subscribers to Which? Tech Support receive the magazine, plus unlimited 1-2-1 expert support from our Which? Tech Support team.
You can join Which? Tech Support for £49 a year. Know someone who will benefit from a Tech Support subscription? Give the gift of a year's worth of expert advice.
