Bob:
My father fell for the bait of scammers via his mobile phone. First, he received an SMS supposedly from me from someone else's number, where they asked me not to ask anything and to top up the account. The father saw the message, by the way, after the story ended, and the scammers decided not to wait a long time for an answer and try their luck in another way.
About five minutes after the message, a young man called my dad - my father still claims that his voice was very similar to mine. On my behalf, the fraudster said that I had big problems - I owed a large sum of money and they came for it "with the last warning." All my things, including my phone, were confiscated by the “creditors”. In general, help out, they say, your son out of trouble.
While my father was trying to figure out what was what, the scammers demanded to send $ 500 to the indicated number within half an hour - my "debt", otherwise force would be used against me. They said if he called the police, I would get hurt. The father put the entire amount on the phone, in addition to everything else, the terminal has not yet issued a check.
Financial Culture Expert:
“Mom, I hit a man”, “got into trouble”, “got stuck outside the city” - the content of such messages is limited only by the fantasy of SMS scammers. Such messages usually arrive at night - the victim in a sleepy state will not be able to soberly assess the situation, easily succumb to intimidation and pressure.
Scammers act in different ways. Sometimes they just throw the bait, limiting themselves to a short message - for example: “Do not ask anything, I’m from someone else’s phone, there are problems. Throw $ 15 on the phone. " Sometimes, if they notice that a person has ignored SMS, new ones are sent, with more frightening details. Or, as in the case of Sergei's father, they call on behalf of criminals who threaten a loved one and confirm the information from the SMS.
The unexpected news that a loved one is in trouble can confuse a vigilant person. Swindlers know about this, so they do not give the victim to come to his senses, rush and put pressure on emotions.
To keep yourself safe, make it a rule to proceed as follows:
My father fell for the bait of scammers via his mobile phone. First, he received an SMS supposedly from me from someone else's number, where they asked me not to ask anything and to top up the account. The father saw the message, by the way, after the story ended, and the scammers decided not to wait a long time for an answer and try their luck in another way.
About five minutes after the message, a young man called my dad - my father still claims that his voice was very similar to mine. On my behalf, the fraudster said that I had big problems - I owed a large sum of money and they came for it "with the last warning." All my things, including my phone, were confiscated by the “creditors”. In general, help out, they say, your son out of trouble.
While my father was trying to figure out what was what, the scammers demanded to send $ 500 to the indicated number within half an hour - my "debt", otherwise force would be used against me. They said if he called the police, I would get hurt. The father put the entire amount on the phone, in addition to everything else, the terminal has not yet issued a check.
Financial Culture Expert:
“Mom, I hit a man”, “got into trouble”, “got stuck outside the city” - the content of such messages is limited only by the fantasy of SMS scammers. Such messages usually arrive at night - the victim in a sleepy state will not be able to soberly assess the situation, easily succumb to intimidation and pressure.
Scammers act in different ways. Sometimes they just throw the bait, limiting themselves to a short message - for example: “Do not ask anything, I’m from someone else’s phone, there are problems. Throw $ 15 on the phone. " Sometimes, if they notice that a person has ignored SMS, new ones are sent, with more frightening details. Or, as in the case of Sergei's father, they call on behalf of criminals who threaten a loved one and confirm the information from the SMS.
The unexpected news that a loved one is in trouble can confuse a vigilant person. Swindlers know about this, so they do not give the victim to come to his senses, rush and put pressure on emotions.
To keep yourself safe, make it a rule to proceed as follows:
- Call the person in question to see if everything is in order.
- Do not enter into a dialogue if unknown people call you and inform that a loved one is in danger or a fine.
- Never introduce yourself first when answering a call from an unfamiliar number - do not make it easier for attackers to psychologically instill confidence in you. By addressing you by name and speaking to you in a voice that is at least slightly similar to the voice of your loved one, the scammer significantly increases the chances of making you believe his words.
