A WARNING against a text message scam has been issued by police after a Wiltshire woman was conned into believing her son had been involved in a serious accident.

The woman received a text from someone claiming to be her son, using a friend’s phone, informing her he’d been in car crash. He asked for the woman to buy phone top-up vouchers and send the codes to him so he could get in touch with his friend’s family and tell them what happened.

The fraudster claimed that they’d been taken to hospital but he wasn’t allowed to use the phones there. The woman ended up sending £60 worth of codes.

After hearing nothing for hours the victim text her son, on his phone number, and her son text back, informing her he hadn’t been in a crash.

The police’s Action Fraud group is now investigating the incident.

“Distraught with worry for her son and with her emotions played on, the lady was conned into buying £20 top up vouchers for three different networks and sending the codes to the fraudster,” a Wiltshire Police spokes-person said.

“Please think twice before sending any electronic money transfer codes to anyone, it might not be who they say they are.”

Action Fraud has appealed for anyone who suffered this scam or something similar to report it to them.

An Action Fraud spokesperson said: “It is important to remember that Action Fraud is the reporting tool for fraud.

“Regarding this type of text message fraud, the advice we would provide to the public would be to not respond to unknown numbers and never send electronic money transfer codes to anyone until their identity has been verified.”

Anyone wishing to report an incident to Action Fraud can visit www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.