Rail travellers warned of fake social media accounts attempting to gain personal details

Scammers are attempting to use bogus rail accounts on social media to try to trick the public into sharing personal details.

East Midlands Railway have warned travellers to be extra vigilant online after a rise in scam accounts.

“Due to a growing number of accounts impersonating EMR, we urge all customers to double-check that it's really one of our team asking you for your journey or contact details,” a statement posted on social media said.

“If in doubt, click on the profile, look for the blue tick and check the number of followers. Stay safe.”

In a further post, EMR said con artists are using false accounts which look similar to the real one to coax members of the public into sharing information.

“Scammers have used the increased contact we've been receiving to identify targets,” it continued.

A quick search of X/Twitter revealed a number of accounts purporting to be East Midlands Railway, using the same online name and images as the official account.

Other accounts claiming to be employees can be found.

EMR’s X account can be simply distinguished from fakes due to having a blue tick, meaning it is an official account.

Great Western Rail issued a similar warning to customers last month, saying people running the fake accounts were contacting them to request personal information.