We have already reported several times about this scam on WhatsApp, and now the BKA Austria is also warning about it and giving tips.
In the last few weeks, a new fraud scam has been discovered across Austria. The fraudsters send the victim a message via WhatsApp or similar messenger services in which they pretend to be a relative or friend and say that they have a new cell phone number. For example, the salutation “Hello Mom” suggests that the sender is your own child. The victims react accordingly with trust and written conversations take place. Contact by telephone is blocked on the grounds that the new telephone first needs to be set up.
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The perpetrator then tells his victim that because he has changed his smartphone, he is not yet able to carry out bank transfers, but that he has to make an urgent transfer. The fraudsters ask the victim to make this transfer in the meantime. The money would be returned in the next few days. The amounts required are currently between 2,500 and 4,600 euros.
Crime prevention tips
• Never transfer amounts of money without a cross-check: Try to reach the person concerned personally!
• Contact the person concerned by calling them back on the phone number you normally use!
• Do not use the voice call function of the messenger service to contact us by telephone!
• Do not pay under any circumstances and consider whether the transfer is even plausible for the person concerned (reason for payment, amount and so on)!
• Do not provide any access details or your bank details!
• Report the sender of the messages to the relevant messenger service and block the phone number!
• If damage has already occurred, report it to the next police station!
Source: Austrian Federal Criminal Police Office
One of our articles on the topic:
Your own child needs help, the old smartphone is broken and he or she has been given a new cell phone number and needs to make a quick transfer. Yes, be careful!
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )