Is the EE Points Program Legit or a Scam? A Comprehensive Investigation

EE is one of the major mobile networks in the UK, providing various mobile plans, broadband packages, and other telecom services to customers. Like most major companies, EE also runs loyalty programs to reward existing customers. However, there have been reports of scam texts being sent to users claiming to offer EE points through such a program. In this in-depth blog post, let’s evaluate the facts around the “EE points program” and determine if it’s a legit offering or a scam.

What are the details of the supposed “EE points program” text scam?

According to reports from various users online, the scam texts typically mention some variation of the following:

• Congratulating the user for being a loyal EE customer

• Stating that they have accumulated a certain amount of points in the “EE points program”

• That these points are about to expire soon if not redeemed

• Providing a link to click to redeem the points before they expire

• Using wording like “Don’t miss out on this great offer from EE!”

The links in these texts usually lead to malicious websites designed to steal personal information like login credentials if entered. Clearly, the overall intention is to mislead people into believing this is part of a legitimate loyalty scheme run by EE.

Is there an official EE points program?

Upon thoroughly researching EE’s website, terms & conditions and checking with customer support, it’s abundantly clear that EE does NOT have any kind of official “points program” or rewards scheme linked to a customer’s network usage.

While EE does offer occasional promotional incentives to new and existing customers through mediums like online/text discounts/vouchers, direct cashback schemes etc, there is no program that tracks “points” a user accumulates over time with the network. So texts or emails purporting the expiration of unused points are certainly a scam.

How are people falling for the EE points text scam?

The success of such scams relies heavily on exploiting human psychology. Here are some key reasons why people may fall for it:

• Plausibility: Receiving offers of free rewards/points from a familiar company like EE seems credible at first glance.

• Scarcity tactic: Terms like “points expiring soon” create a sense of urgency to act without verifying.

• Curiosity: Wanting to see what the offer entails may lead one to click the malicious link.

• Trusting nature: Not everyone approaches unsolicited communications with sufficient skepticism.

• Poor cyber awareness: Lack of knowledge about evolving scam techniques increases risk of being deceived.

So while EE clearly isn’t responsible, scam artists leverage normal human tendencies very effectively through such social engineering tricks. Staying informed is key to not becoming a victim.

How to stay safe and report scam attempts

To conclude, while the sentiment of “something for nothing” is alluring, one needs to practice due diligence always before interacting with unsolicited communications, especially those involving personal details. Here are some best practices to avoid falling for the EE points scam or similar schemes:

• Be extremely wary of any unsolicited messages offering rewards or incentives of any kind.

• Never click links or download files from suspicious emails/texts, especially those asking for private info like passwords.

• Verify any offer directly with the company concerned through official channels before taking action.

• Educate self & family on signs of phishing attempts like poor grammar, urgency language etc.

• Report scam attempts to Action Fraud (actionfraud.police.uk) and the company to prevent others being targeted.

• Install robust security software & enable 2FA authentication where available for essential online accounts.

By following some basic precautions and staying aware of ongoing scams through credible advisories, one can effectively avoid becoming a victim of social engineering ploys like the EE points ruse and keep personal information safe. Stay informed to stay protected!