iMessage - Royal Mail Scam

Question

Level 1

4 points

iMessage - Royal Mail Scam

I received a scam message from someone pretending to be from Royal Mail. I did not click on the link and therefore provided no information but I did reply to the message to say I’d be reporting them. The message itself asked to be replied to, so now am worried this has inadvertently put me at risk, malware, keyloggers, etc. Especially since trying to log onto my online banking app with 4 digits of the 6 already being present (I don’t think this was me and I got distracted, but can’t entirely say for certain). Can you please advise if any malware or keyloggers could have been put on my iPhone by simply replying?

Thanks

iPhone 12 Pro, iOS 17

Posted on Mar 20, 2024 12:13 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 20, 2024 12:20 AM in response to Viper-1

I am not clear why you replied to a spam message. Reporting was good enough.

Here's why replying to spam can backfire:

Confirms your number: Spammers use replies to verify active phone numbers. This can lead to even more spam in the future.
Opens doors for more scams: Replying can trigger automated systems to send you more targeted spam or phishing attempts.

What to do instead:

Report it: Most phones and email platforms have a "report spam" option. Use it to flag the message and help train spam filters.
Delete and ignore: Don't engage with spam. Simply delete the message and move on.

By following these steps, you can protect yourself from unwanted messages and keep your inbox clean.

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Answer 2

AKRBTN

Level 6

8,785 points

Mar 20, 2024 06:12 AM in response to Viper-1

Replying in itself is not going to compromise your device, assuming that you didn’t give them any account information. It does confirm to the spammers they “got a live one” and may cause more spamming.

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