#Phone #scam #beware #SMS #empty #bank #account
The more time we spend on our smartphones, the happier cyber criminals are! The Objeko team invites you to discover this new SMS scam that affects more and more French people of all ages. Please follow our instructions carefully to avoid any problems!
Cybercrime: crimes on the exponential rise
Cybercrime is on the rise! Since the advent of digital technologies, malicious individuals have tried to take advantage of security gaps to extort money from their victims. They use all their subterfuge to achieve their ends, and stop at nothing!
The democratization of computers and mobile phones has seen a resurgence of criminal interest in these deceptive techniques. Smartphones are a perfect platform for scams of all kinds. Fraudulent call, hacked SMS, false promises, anything goes! The main target of their criminals are, of course, the elderly, who are more likely to fall for it. However, no one is safe! From the youngest to the oldest, everyone gets caught one day or another, even very carefully.
Every year in France several million scams are recorded. Objeko already warned you against this type of fraudulent behavior not long ago. The criminals posed as home delivery companies. In the midst of a pandemic, and with the great boom in the delivery of goods and services during confinement, these scams have flourished! Now we warn you against a new scourge fast approaching our old hexagon.
This SMS scam that can cost you dearly!
SMS scams are a favorite of criminals who want your money. Indeed, in our computers, antiviruses are already integrated and many French people use additional protections. As for phone scams, these still exist. However, they are more complicated and expensive to set up. The French are also very wary of these calls from suspicious numbers or requesting confidential information.
Do you receive an SMS indicating that you have canceled your line? This may be the start of a scam with very serious consequences! Especially if someone calls you pretending to be an advisor and cheats on you… https://t.co/OFdsMfLwal pic.twitter.com/grb2mRRhBO
– Signal-Arnaques (@SignalArnaques) November 3, 2021
Texting is ideal because most smartphone users do not have virus protection on their device. Therefore, they are very easy to infect. As with the SMS scam of people impersonating a delivery service, this one adopts a similar concept. This time, the criminals pose as a banking establishment. They then ask you to click on a link in the SMS, which is supposed to send you to the bank’s website. Deactivated, the link actually downloads a virus to your smartphone. This infects you without you knowing it. If, like many French people, you have a banking app, it could be infected! Cybercriminals then have access to all your sensitive data and bank accounts. Then they can very easily steal from you without you realizing it!
What to do if you are the victim of an SMS scam?
If you realize that you have been the victim of such a scam, you must act quickly! First, stop using your phone. Objeko advises you to check your computer to change all your passwords and request a new SIM card. If your savings have been extorted, you should file a report as soon as possible at the nearest police station! You should also contact your bank so they can block any suspicious transactions. With your complaint duly registered, you can be reimbursed for the lost sums.
TV awareness campaign 📺 @Consomag_tv produced in collaboration with @Conso_INC and broadcast on the channels of @francetele
Topic 3⃣: How and why to protect your connected objects?secure your #IoT 👉 https://t.co/YbZ6S7mSfF#Consomag #Cyber security pic.twitter.com/YvKVh9GAIe
— Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr (@cybervictimes) November 2, 2021
If you receive a suspicious SMS and have not yet clicked on a link, you can find out its origin easily and for free. Objeko recommends the online platform 33700, which allows you to trace the origin of any phone number. You can then report the suspicious number online to prevent others from falling for it. Therefore, you can use this same platform, or go to the site spam flag, which is a platform that lists all email or SMS scams. Being scammed by an SMS is nothing to be ashamed of, and it can happen to anyone! The Objeko team hopes that these tips will get you out of this situation quickly.