Home Office Phishing Warning for UK Sponsors: How to Protect Your SMS Account

• Claim to be from the Home Office.
   
• Alert you of a message on SMS with a warning of compliance action or suspension of your account if you fail to log in
   
• Provide a link that takes you to a page where you are asked for your SMS User ID and password.
   
• Scam emails are often sent to shared mailboxes that are taken from your organisation's website (for example, info@xyz.com), not to the email addresses of your key personnel.

Entering your credentials on the fake site can let the sender into your SMS account.

Any electronic communications relating to your sponsor licence from the Home Office will come via one of the following channels:

• An email address ending @homeoffice.gov.uk, @fco.gov.uk, or @fcdo.gov.uk
   
• The Account Management Portal (AMP)
   
• On the message board of your SMS account

The Home Office will not ask you to verify your SMS User ID or password and will not send you a link or password to log in.

The Home Office advises:

1. Do not click links in suspicious emails.
    
2. Never share SMS login details.
    
3. Change SMS passwords regularly, making them long and strong.
    
4. Use different passwords if you have access to more than one SMS account.
    
5. Deactivate Level 1 and Level 2 users who leave or change roles in your company. 
    
6. Keep contact details up to date.
    
7. Always keep at least one, preferably two, active Level 1 users.
    
8. If you think the account is compromised, change your password immediately and tell other Level 1/2 users to do the same.
    

Read the official Cyber security guidance for business to help you improve online security and protect your company against cyber threats.

1. Go to www.gov.uk, select the "Welcome to.Gov.UK" link.
    
2. Search for “UK visa sponsorship management system”.
    
3. Select the result and click “Start now”.
    
4. Log in to your SMS account.

If you have received an email or telephone call that doesn’t seem genuine, or you have concerns that your SMS account has been compromised, you can report it to:

• businesshelpdesk@homeoffice.gov.uk – if you’re an employer
   
• Studyengagementteam@homeoffice.gov.uk – if you are an educator
   
• Business Helpline – 0300 123 4699

If the Home Office receives information that your SMS account has been compromised, it may deactivate users while the issue is investigated. You will be contacted with follow up actions.

he Home Office provides detailed SMS user guides covering account management, including Level 1 and Level 2 user administration – the can be found here.

You can also read our full UK Sponsor Management System guide here.