UK_Gov text message, fake?

[bunchofkeys]

I've just received a text message, apparently from GOV.UK it reads as:

GOV.UK CORONAVIRUS ALERT
New rules in force now: you must stay at home. More infor & exemptions at gov.uk/coronavirus Stay at home. Proect the NHS. Save lives.

Anyone else received this? And if this is true, how the hell have they got my number, which i rarely give out.
What would have given my number away?

[anonymous-user]

A chap on my site got this. He has previously had pneumonia. Have you had any previous medical conditions?

[anonymous-user]

Everyone got it. I assume they asked the mobile networks to do it as I haer the emergency text project was mothballed 5 years ago.

[robbieduncan]

My wife received one first thing this morning. I have not received one (yet). I see no reason not to believe it's genuine. My best guess would be the mobile networks have been asked to send to all numbers and are slowly working their way through them.

[-crookedtail-]

bunchofkeys said:

I've just received a text message, apparently from GOV.UK it reads as:

GOV.UK CORONAVIRUS ALERT
New rules in force now: you must stay at home. More infor & exemptions at gov.uk/coronavirus Stay at home. Proect the NHS. Save lives.

Anyone else received this? And if this is true, how the hell have they got my number, which i rarely give out.
What would have given my number away?

Your mobile network has your number, so they can send what they like on the behalf of the government. I got it too, I'm on EE but a friend also on EE hasn't got it. I guess they're doing it in batches

[sparkyhx]

-crookedtail- said:

bunchofkeys said:

I've just received a text message, apparently from GOV.UK it reads as:

GOV.UK CORONAVIRUS ALERT
New rules in force now: you must stay at home. More infor & exemptions at gov.uk/coronavirus Stay at home. Proect the NHS. Save lives.

Anyone else received this? And if this is true, how the hell have they got my number, which i rarely give out.
What would have given my number away?

Your mobile network has your number, so they can send what they like on the behalf of the government. I got it too, I'm on EE but a friend also on EE hasn't got it. I guess they're doing it in batches

probably, wife and daughters boyfriend have had one, me and my daughter haven't (yet?)

[condor]

Was on the BBC News this morning that the mobile networks would send every mobile a text message from the Government re Coronavirus and the importance of staying at home. I've not received one yet.

[toon10]

condor said:

Was on the BBC News this morning that the mobile networks would send every mobile a text message from the Government re Coronavirus and the importance of staying at home. I've not received one yet.

This. I got mine ealy while in bed, my other half hasn't got hers yet but she will.

[Ian Lancs]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-52017451

[Glosphil]

sparkyhx said:

probably, wife and daughters boyfriend have had one, me and my daughter haven't (yet?)

Your wife & daughters share a boyfriend!

[bristolbaron]

Glosphil said:

sparkyhx said:

probably, wife and daughters boyfriend have had one, me and my daughter haven't (yet?)

Your wife & daughters share a boyfriend!

I’ve seen their documentaries.

[sparkyhx]

Glosphil said:

sparkyhx said:

probably, wife and daughters boyfriend have had one, me and my daughter haven't (yet?)

Your wife & daughters share a boyfriend!

...........you got me

[Ambleton]

condor said:

Was on the BBC News this morning that the mobile networks would send every mobile a text message from the Government re Coronavirus and the importance of staying at home. I've not received one yet.

me neither, in the meantime i'm running round the neighborhood licking everyones door handles and every cash machine i can find, taking particular attention to not be more than 1m away from an OAP at any given time.

am i doing this right?

[bunchofkeys]

I didn't see the news about this, but thanks for confirming it's not spam.

[55palfers]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-81...

[supertouring]

While in Canada in Jan I was woken to my phone giving out an unusual alarm and a very surprising Nuclear Alert message. This was not a text message but something more significant and was in response to an incident at a Canadian Nuclear plant, luckily no where near me.

It turned out the message was sent in error (someone a little overzealous) but I think it shows that there are more capabilities to the devices we have than we are aware of. It went to all phones within a certain area, from what I understand.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/12/world/canada/on...

I did receive the Govt text message this morning. It was nothing like the warning message I received in Canada, just a text message.

[Megaflow]

Yes, I got one as well.

Mine arrived literally as walked out the door to pop to local shop for more milk, I did think about a tin foil hat for a minute!

[cologne2792]

I've had a couple today.

Apparently I'm high risk and need to stay in until around the 23rd June.

I'll probably starve by then.

[768]

bunchofkeys said:

And if this is true, how the hell have they got my number, which i rarely give out.

07000000001
07000000002
07000000003
...

[anonymous-user]

Sambucket said:

Everyone got it.

No they didn't