Scams through messages have become a nightmare for all users, as from a simple WhatsApp or SMS a series of attacks and robberies can be triggered that can leave us without savings and damage our reputation.
Practically every week we become aware of new variants of these types of scams, although the truth is that even the most well-known tactics continue to work and be effective for cybercriminals, who manage to extract money from their victims.
And while there are many ways to prevent and detect these scams, many times they go unnoticed because we are not familiar with how these scams start and we do not realize that we are entering one before it is too late.
Therefore, in today’s article, we are going to show you some of the most common examples of fraudulent messages so that you know them and in case you receive them, you can detect them in time and not fall into the scams of cybercriminals.
Hello, can I talk to you?
With this simple message, (apparently harmless) scams have caused losses of over 11,000 euros and legal problems for their victims. Normally, an unknown number with a foreign prefix writes to us, offering us a great job where we have to work little and earn a lot.
If we are contacted with something similar, it is best to stop replying, block and report the phone number. Many times, we see that the name saved in WhatsApp is not the same as they tell us in the message, which should alert us, as well as if they write to us from Indonesia, Nigeria, Thailand, or distant countries.
Hello Dad, my phone is broken…
Another common and effective cyberattack is the false message from your child, although there are occasions when it varies and it can be your mother, your brother, or your partner, the deception is to pretend to be someone close to you in trouble of some kind.
In this example, they pass us a phone number to continue the scam on WhatsApp, but there are times when they directly ask us for money or other things in that same message. The trick that never fails to detect that it is a scam is by establishing a keyword among your family and friends, so if we receive a message of this type we can check to see if they know the secret word.
Your bank: your card has been blocked, follow this link to unblock it
Considering that cybercriminals want to get our money, they often pretend to be our bank and infiltrate among the official communications we have with them, so that we give them our passwords and data to be able to steal our money. Before following any link, check for yourself if something is wrong with your account and contact your branch using a different method than the one recommended in the suspicious message.
Post: the street number is missing to complete the shipment…
At other times, attackers take a chance with scams related to services we use often, for example, Post. They play on the fact that you are waiting for a package, and even if you are not waiting for one, many times we fall into the trap out of curiosity.
What they want is for you to reply to their message or access a link or website that seems real, but is fraudulent. For this, they often use messages like “the street number is missing” or “incomplete data” to grab your attention and make you access this site where they will steal from you.
Courier companies: your package could not be delivered, you must pay customs fees…
Due to the rise of online shopping, courier companies are constantly working and delivering packages to all homes, cybercriminals take advantage of this and try to get you to bite by saying that you have a package stuck or something similar.
The excuse is that it is held in customs, and you have to pay a small amount (always affordable so you continue) to receive it, but in reality the link they share is fraudulent and only serves to steal your personal and banking information.
Public entities: DGT you have a pending fine
To finish with the most common types of messages, attackers often choose to impersonate public institutions such as the DGT, a hospital, the Police, Treasury… Here they usually claim that you owe a fine or that you need to complete some personal data or payment related to the entity.
Conclusion
To avoid falling for these scams, it is advisable to know the communication methods of these institutions and their way of operating when they need our information or when we need to make a payment, for example, the DGT does not text you that you have a fine.
