Tomorrow's test of the government’s emergency alert system could provide a ‘perfect opportunity’ for scammers to target Suffolk residents, a cybersecurity expert has warned.
Jonathan Smy, managing director of SMY IT Services in Capel St Mary, said Sunday’s test opens the door for scammers to use phishing tactics to steal people’s personal information.
That could be by sending text messages giving people the chance to “opt out” of the test by following a malicious link to a fake website, or prompting them to download a non-existent government emergency app to receive future alerts.
Doing so would either lead to them being asked to disclose personal information, or infect their device with malware.
The government's alert system was tested in east Suffolk.
Mr Smy said: “Unfortunately scammers never miss a trick when it comes to big events like the upcoming test. And having millions of people awaiting a message on their phone is a perfect opportunity for them to strike.
“No action will be required when the legitimate alert is sent to your phone at 3pm on Sunday.
“Any messages telling you to do something are likely malicious in nature and should be completely ignored.”
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