Telephone scammers what to do. Attention! New methods of telephone fraud
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With development cellular communications Telephone scammers have also become more active. Methods of deception grow like mushrooms after warm rain. Sometimes criminals are so convincing that even wary people who have heard about telephone scams fall for their tricks. In order to protect yourself from huge expenses, let's once again recall the most popular methods of deception.
Call back!
Telephone scammers who use this method operate in different ways.
They either dial your number and hang up after 1-2 rings, or they say in a hoarse voice: “Hello! How are you..." - and they interrupt the sentence mid-sentence. Most often, we call back using a lost number. In the first case, because it’s interesting. In the second, because we are sure that we did not recognize our friend who had a cold. The end result of such a “call back” is clear: there is no money left on the phone. By the way, sometimes telephone scammers do not call, but send a message asking to call back or asking: “How are you?”
A call center operator is talking to you
In this case, telephone scammers pose as the operator of Beeline, Housing and Communal Services, the Ministry, or whatever. In a mechanical voice, they recite phrases about new, very profitable services and offer to connect them without leaving home. The result is the same - goodbye money!
Preferential tariff
Particularly effective in cities with big amount emigrants. They are offered to call home at a reduced rate. Needless to say, people are happy to take advantage of the “benefits”, the operator does not receive money, and the owner of the phone “finds” a large sum.
You have won a prize
These telephone scammers may pose as radio or television DJs. They happily report (in conversation or via SMS) that you won a car (TV, phone, travel package). You only need to call back to specified number or send SMS. All. No money left.
Yours salary card blocked
I almost fell for this trick myself. On the day I received the money (!) I received a message: “The bank informs you that your card is blocked by technical reasons. To change the PIN code, call the number back or follow the link." I noticed that the number was in a different region at the last second. Naturally, a call to the bank confirmed that nothing was blocked from me.
Your son is in trouble
A very old but still effective scam. They report over the phone that your relative is in trouble, and only a large sum of money can help him, which needs to be brought to the address... And they deliver the money!
Let's take care of ourselves
I could go on and on about the ways phone owners have. But it’s better to list the basic rules of behavior that will help you save considerable amounts.
- Never call back or send SMS to unknown numbers, even if they are not four-digit.
- If you can’t wait to call back, first “type” the number into any search engine. There you can find more than one list phone scammers, they are published quite often.
- Don't be greedy. Remember that even in a mousetrap there is no free cheese, the mouse pays for him with his life.
- When you receive a message about a relative in trouble, first call him back and you will be sure that you were communicating with crooks.
- But if you are still deceived by telephone scammers, where should you turn? To the nearest police station. They are simply obliged to accept your application and conduct an investigation.
Today, telephone fraud is the most common way of defrauding money. Fraudsters can take different routes and use a variety of methods. And all in order to get the desired funds and remain unpunished. Only a very attentive, calm and non-panic person can avoid telephone fraud, because in any emergency situation you need to think soberly and not give in to panic, and scammers are trying to put you in a state of panic.
The more telecommunications develop, the more diverse scams there are, which become more sophisticated every year and which become more and more difficult to prove.
Popular types of telephone scams
The first place among all telephone frauds is occupied by scams that are associated with the relatives of the victim of telephone thieves.
All scams of this kind are very similar to each other. The person calling most often introduces himself as an acquaintance of one of your relatives, and some may even introduce themselves as your loved one. After this, all the fraud begins, they begin to tell you that your relative is suspected of a crime (this could be an accident in which people were injured, possession of drugs or even weapons, causing serious harm to someone).
Then, when the “relative” tells you his story, a policeman enters the conversation, who fully confirms the words about the incident and offers to help your “relative” - for this you will have to pay a bribe. But not a decent meeting, because the policeman may lose his shoulder straps. Bring money to a place that was previously agreed upon or transfer it through another person, or even easier - send money through a card. And he, that is, the police officer, will hand them over to whoever is needed and your “relative” will be released. Typically, the cost of “freedom” varies from one thousand dollars to ten.
The police are aware of cases where the person who calls may be in correctional facilities, while having one to three accomplices who are at large. A person who is free, as a rule, rents an apartment and uses a telephone to dial various phone numbers. Moreover, previously subscriber phone numbers were used, but today scammers call federal, direct, and, of course, city numbers.
In the case when a person who was informed about such an incident agrees to bring money to the specified place, then initially he is told one place, after he gets there, he is told the second location. But when the scammer’s accomplices are already watching him, then the deceived person brings the money to the right place, and he is told where he can supposedly meet his relative.
SMS fraud
The second most popular way to extract money from a person through the use of telecommunications is SMS fraud. In this type of telephone scam, subscribers receive a message to their phone number, which, as a rule, contains a request for help with money due to an unpleasant situation in which your relative, friend or just acquaintance allegedly found themselves.
Sample texts of SMS messages for fraud.
The first option is a message from the child: “Mom (Dad), I’m in trouble, send money to this number (usually the amount is indicated). I'll give it all back and explain later. Don't call yet."
If you receive such a message and your child is not at home. The main thing is to remain calm and not panic. And remember that the first thing you need to do is call your child on his number and find out whether he sent the message or not.
The second option is also a message from the child: “Mom, I’m in trouble, call this number back.”
If you receive this kind of message, then first of all call your child, but if he does not answer, then find out by SMS message who sent this SMS. But under no circumstances call back, because you will be answered by a stranger who will delay the conversation in every possible way while funds are debited from your account.
The third option is “Money has been credited to your account.”
Quite often it happens that when replenishing an account, we may make a mistake in dialing a number and telephone scammers take advantage of this. They top up your account, you receive a message that money has been credited to your account, and literally a couple of minutes later you receive a message from another number that they made a mistake and accidentally topped up your account and are asking you to return it back. And you, as an honest person, return all the funds that were credited to your account. And then the scammers contact the phone shop where you topped up your account and report that you have the wrong number; as a result, the operator debits the funds from your account within 24 hours. And in the end you are left with nothing.
The fourth, no less popular option for SMS fraud is a message from your bank. The text of such a message is something like this: “Your bank card is blocked. Please call back to the specified number (ХХХ) ХХХ-ХХ-ХХ. Your Sberbank.
Here, too, you don’t need to immediately start panicking, call back the number indicated in the text of the SMS message, if it is a scammer, then he will try to unlock your card, and for this he will ask for the card number, CVV code, and possibly also a password . In this situation, you can safely hang up, because the bank under no circumstances asks for such information. It’s better to immediately call your bank’s hotline when you receive such an SMS message and find out about your card. Number hotline always listed on the back of your card.
Free prize draw - "you win"
The third way to commit fraud using a telephone is to draw various prizes. Usually in such cases, a representative of some company or radio station, or some other non-existent company calls you and tells you that you have won some good gift (a car, a laptop, a home theater, a trip for two and much more ).
Consider the option when a “radio presenter” calls you, who tells you that you have won a very good prize and in order to receive it, you need to call the radio station within a few minutes, confirm participation in the promotion, otherwise you will lose the chance to receive a prize.
A person who nevertheless agrees to call back will most likely be answered by an employee who works in the “prizes department” and who will inform in detail all the rules of the promotion. He will also ask you to give your last name, first name, patronymic and, of course, date of birth. He will competently be able to convince that everything is honest, legal and transparent. But a prerequisite for the game is the activation of the card, the cost of which is three hundred dollars.
When the participant is able to activate this card, he will need to call back again to register and assign him a serial number. After reporting the number, the procedure for receiving the promised prize is then explained. The winner will need to appear at a specified place within a certain time period with a passport, with his phone number and the number that was previously assigned to him, in order to receive his long-awaited prize.
How can you save yourself from telephone scams?
Remember that any mobile fraud is just a way to deprive you of your Money, so scammers will try in any way to make you panic and nervous, because in such a state a person cannot think soberly and logically. Try to remain calm and cool, this will make you less likely to become a victim of telephone scammers.
A few more rules will also help you:
- If your relative allegedly calls you asking for help, ask him to describe his appearance or ask him questions to which only he can know the answers. These may be questions relating to you or his personal life.
- If a police officer talks to you on the phone, find out the number of the unit in which he works. Then you can call there and find out if such a person works there. This task will take you no more than five minutes, but will help you save a decent amount of money.
- You can also call back the person discussed in the conversation at his mobile number, find out if he got into any unpleasant situations, if he asked for your help.
- When you receive messages from your friends or acquaintances from another number asking you to top up their account, don’t be lazy to call that number back and find out the person who is asking to send money.
- Remember, if you found out about the car draw while winning, without participating in any promotions, then this is probably just another scam and you shouldn’t fall for it. Otherwise, you risk losing your nerve cells and, just as importantly, your money.
- And remember that not a single bank in Russia requires any card password or CVV code from its clients; only scammers can find out this.
Most often, telephone fraud occurs at night, when a person is drowsy or half asleep. After all, it is precisely at such a time that the victim of telephone scammers least expects any deception. And it is in this state that it is easiest to lead a person into a state of panic, and this plays into the hands of any fraudster. Therefore, if the situation allows you to wait until the morning, then only start resolving all the issues, because then the likelihood that you will become a new victim of scammers is much less.
Remember, if you have already fallen into the hands of a fraudster, then immediately contact the nearest police station and write a statement regarding the fact of deception. The main thing is not to hesitate, because solving a crime without delay is much easier than after some time. And the likelihood of returning your money that was transferred into the hands of a fraudster increases several times. Therefore, if such a situation happens, you don’t need to give up, but you need to act. Even when you have lost a small amount of money, it is obvious that this scammer has deceived not only you, but also someone else, and if he is caught, you will help others not to become his victim.
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How to understand that you are being scammed over the phone
Even if the fraudster knows the card number and expiration date, it is not easy to steal money from it.
Most cards are protected by 3-D Secure - a system that requires confirmation of large transactions with a code from SMS. To find out the treasured code, attackers use: sending letters, spamming on social networks, faking bank websites and making phone calls on their behalf.
Maxim Matyushchenko
experienced buyer
Imagine: Saturday evening, cups of tea, a TV series crackling on the laptop. Suddenly a call: “Hello, this is about your card.” If the dialogue follows one of the scenarios below, end the conversation and report to the bank.
Sign 1
The call comes from an unknown number or from a mobile phone 
The bank always calls from the official numbers listed on the website. It is not necessary to remember the number, but it must at least be local or federal (8−800).
Sign 2
An SMS supposedly from the bank arrives in a new correspondence 
SMS from the bank also comes from one or two numbers that are already familiar to you. In any case, do not rush to click on the links in the message.
Sign 3
The interlocutor cannot answer simple questions 
Scammer
Hello, someone from the bank is bothering you. We see a suspicious transaction on your card.
On what card?
According to your main
Give the number
Bank
Hello, someone from the bank is bothering you. We see a suspicious transaction on your card, the last digits are 1234. Cash withdrawal in another city, the amount is 8,000 rubles.
Oh, I filmed this, thanks!
The call center operator sees on the screen everything that the bank knows about you. If the interlocutor is not ready to answer a simple question, for example, tell the card balance, this is a scammer.
Sign 4
Alarming message or call subject 
To scare the victim and force them to quickly take the desired action, scammers come up with frightening scenarios. They say that the bank has blocked the account, assessed a fine for the loan, or that a suspicious transaction was carried out.
In such a situation, do not rush, two minutes will not solve anything. Call the bank and find out. Call only the phone number indicated on the website or on the map.
Sign 5
The interlocutor asks for card details or SMS code 
Scammer
To cancel a suspicious transaction, tell me your card number and the code on the back.
1234 5678 9012 3456, code 789.
Great, you will now receive an SMS, tell me, what are the numbers?
Bank
We blocked the card and ordered a reissue. The courier will call you to arrange a meeting. We have temporarily blocked funds for the suspicious transaction, and the security service is studying the situation.
An SMS code is the same as a password. Bank employees will never ask him, and they already know the card number.
If you received a call supposedly from a bank and you want to make sure the interlocutor is reliable, ask his name. After this, call the official bank number - the one indicated on the card and on the website - and ask to be switched to the person who called you.
Sign 6
They promise you benefits without effort 
To lure the victim, scammers promise a solid income quickly and effortlessly: super profitable work, win-win competitions, courses that will make everyone rich. But there is no free cheese, even in a mousetrap: you won’t get money, you’ll only lose it. For example, scammers will take an advance payment for training and disappear. Or they will promise a prize and lure you out of your card details, supposedly to transfer your winnings.
Sign 7
The interlocutor is rushing you or trying to convince you 
The bank employee will never insist or rush. He's at work.
Sign 8
Errors in message 
The bank has vigilant editors, but scammers write with errors. Don't let the illiterate criminal fool you.
Sign 9
The sender's name is misspelled 
Fraudsters register addresses similar to bank names. What works here is the property of the brain, which reads the meaning of words if the letters in them are written. When such an SMS arrives, you should also be alerted by the fact that the message was in a new correspondence.
conclusions
- If you are not sure about the interlocutor, ask him to tell you the card number or account balance.
- Don't panic if they write to you about blocking your account. Call the bank using the number on the website or on the card.
- Don't be fooled by promises of easy money or benefits without effort.
- If the other person is rushing you or asking for an SMS code, you are talking to a scammer.
- Read messages from the bank carefully. Fraudsters use sender names similar to bank names and make mistakes in the text.
We have become aware of a relatively new method of telephone deception. Fraudsters call owners mobile phones, whose numbers are linked to bank cards, and force them to transfer large amounts to their accounts. In order to become a victim, it is enough to dial a certain combination of numbers and symbols on your phone.
How can you tell if someone is trying to deceive you?
The fraudulent scheme will work if the victim’s phone is linked to a bank card. If you receive notifications about card transactions (messages about receipts and debits of money) and use mobile banking, it means that your number is linked to the card and you can manage your accounts through USSD requests
What can you do if you are a victim of fraud?
Igor Dorenkov, head of the legal department, RO OZPPP “Roskontrol”:
It is most likely to return the money if banks recognize this as a massive fraud and classify such transfers as made as a result of fraudulent actions. Otherwise, it will be very difficult for the victim to prove that he entered the request without realizing what it would lead to. The specificity of such fraud lies precisely in the fact that for the bank the transfers look completely “ordinary”.
The only thing you can do on your own in this situation is to try to intercept the transfer immediately by contacting the bank operator. But in such fraudulent schemes, most often the money is immediately withdrawn from the accounts, and to catch right moment it can be extremely difficult.
Universal advice, of course, is not to enter commands into your phone that you are not one hundred percent sure of. And ask advice from tech-savvy relatives and friends if you have any doubts.