We already reported on the “Do you prefer to drink white or red wine?” scam in 2020 and 2021 ( HERE ) and it is likely to make the rounds again. The “ Wine Research Institute ” is currently calling on the telephone number: +435243027 . (However, the phone numbers can change constantly) The purpose is to get involved in a conversation in order to end up spying on personal data such as address details, bank account details or credit card numbers and causing financial damage to the victims.

How does a call like this about white or red wine work?

The procedure has not changed compared to 2020/2021: two to three questions are asked about wine consumption. Do you prefer drinking white wine or red wine? A harmless question that may have more to it! In many cases it is clear whether the data is actually used for research purposes or for profit.

What can I do about a call like this?

If you answer such a call, you will not incur any costs. However, you should end the call immediately and not disclose any personal information. Do not get involved in discussions - otherwise you risk further harassment. If there are indications that a crime has been committed, report it to the police immediately.

Where did the scammers get my phone number?

No one is immune from scam calls. The calls are often random. It is usually unclear where the perpetrators got the numbers they used from. The phone numbers dialed may be random or result from other abusive activities, such as hacking or illegal data collection.

Beware of data theft and advertising calls

Telephone surveys for research purposes are permitted in principle, Tellows.de wrote this here in , but the caller must protect their personal data and take into account the removal from the caller list.

In many cases of the wine surveys it was reported that

  • the caller did not provide any information about the origin of the data
  • the caller did not provide any information about the survey client or company
  • the caller called repeatedly - even after repeated requests not to do so
  • the phone number could not be called back
  • later a wine seller called to advertise his products

Note: Do not under any circumstances give out personal information. Surveys from reputable institutes are carried out anonymously. Anyone who passes on data or agrees to be contacted again can suddenly find themselves confronted with countless advertising calls.

Report the phone number!

Report the number if you think it's a scammer!

A scammer calls Mimikama…

We were also called ourselves in 2021 and started the conversation straight away!


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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 )