Scammers are constantly on the lookout for new ways to fool us all, and it seems the latest threat is arriving via the humble text message. According to the security team at Malwarebytes, there has been a sudden rise in fake chats arriving on phones. Some simply start with the word ‘Hello’ whilst others suggest the cyber crook already knows you.

“Hi, I noticed your contact information is saved in my contacts, can you remind me where we talked before,” a message seen by Malwarebytes reads.

The idea behind these latest chats is to get to know you and find out personal information, which can then be used to steal data.

“As soon as you reply, the scammer will initiate a friendly conversation. Their end goal will be to gain your trust and develop the relationship into a costly romance or investment scam,” Malwarebytes explained.

It might sound far-fetched, but these cons do really work. The infamous “Hi mum” attack – which pretends a family member is in trouble – has seen hundreds of thousands of pounds handed to cyber thieves in the UK alone.

It’s now vital that everyone with an iPhone or Android device stays alert, does not respond or click on any links sent via an unknown contact.

Explaining more, Malwarebytes said, “Responding confirms your number is active. It flags you as someone who reads texts and might engage and the scammer may sell or share your number.”

If you do get a message that you are concerned about, then here’s some simple advice to follow.

• Don’t reply, not even to be helpful. Don’t engage in conversation, even if they seem friendly.

• Never click on links.

• Block the number.

• Report the message to your carrier

You have been warned.