The Emergency Alerts Service will enable people to be contacted via their mobile phones if their lives are at risk in an emergency and will be tested across the UK on Sunday of this week.
In a real emergency, this will send a direct message to mobile phones when there is a risk to life, at either a local or national level.
What type of event will trigger the alert?
Alerts may be triggered by things such as public health emergencies, severe floods, fires, or industrial accidents.
Emergency warnings will be sent to all compatible 4G and 5G mobile phones when there is a risk to life, health, or property in the area in which you are located.
When will the test alert take place?
The test alert will take place on Sunday the 23rd of April at 3pm.
You will receive a notification saying that there is a test taking place which will pop up on your screen and can be swiped away like any other alert. The warning will be a loud, siren-like sound, and a message on your screen will tell you about the emergency and how you should respond.
You can find more out about the alerts by visiting gov.uk/alerts.
Will the system be able to track my personal data?
The system does not track your location, require your phone number to be entered, or collect any of your personal data.
Stay alert for scammers
It is important to be aware that any requests for remote access to your phone or personal or financial information in the lead up to, during, or after the test will undoubtedly be a scam.
Scammers can often reach out through text message, email, or even by phone call requesting what may seem like insignificant information, but very often these tactics can be used to gather our data that can be used against us in later scams.
If you receive a request from someone claiming to be contacting in relation to the alerts, you can report this using the Quick Reporting Tool at scamwatch.scot, or alternatively by contacting the team at consumeradvice.scot on 0808 164 6000 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm).