The text is part of a phishing scam attempting to use Brexit as a cover for stealing personal information.

The text message reads: “We need to verify your identity to keep up with EU standards”. The message then instructs the recipient that “to avoid restrictions” they must visit a website to upload their personal details.

Katherine Hart, a lead officer at CTSI, said: “Scammers are using public uncertainty over the Brexit deal to obtain crucial personal details which could put people’s bank accounts at risk of being stolen.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has seen many different scams target the public along those lines, while Brexit is providing another theme for scammers to use.

“It is vital that the public reports these messages to the authorities, and especially any websites connected to them. Doing so provides essential intelligence and enables the authorities to take down malicious websites and fraud networks swiftly.”

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The warning comes at a time when the public are increasingly being targeted with scams related to Covid-19 and the coronavirus vaccine.

To report scams, contact Action Fraud, or if in Scotland, Police Scotland.

To report email scams, contact the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) by emailing report@phishing.gov.uk