Phone operator O2 is warning people to be aware of fraudulent messages after hundreds of its customers fell victim to a "smishing" scam.
The practice, which uses SMS messages to "phish" for personal details, has resulted in thousands of bogus messages being sent from some customers' webtext accounts to other people telling them they have won a prize.
It has resulted in the person who was hacked being inundated with responses by text message and phone calls by people complaining about the message or looking to claim the prize.
O2 said that messages purporting to be from it are leading to accounts being hacked.
The messages tell the customer to click a link to get free calls.
But it leads them to a false O2 website that takes their log-on details and gives the hacker access to their account.
The messages being sent as part of this scam come from a normal seven-digit mobile number.
But 02 only contacts its customers using shortcode numbers starting with 5 and 0.
It is warning anyone that receives these messages not to click on the link and to contact it immediately.
