The goal is for you to prevent attacks. It is key to be protected, have a good antivirus and everything updated. But something that can never be missing is common sense. Therefore, preventing attacks through fake calls will be essential. This will help you avoid problems in the short term, but not in the future either.
Common fake calls
Although they can make very varied calls, there are some that are more present. They are the most common, the ones they usually use to launch their attacks. They can call people of all ages, impersonating companies or asking for some type of information. It is essential not to fall into the trap.
Error in your account
The typical first call is when they tell you that there is an error in your account. They can impersonate your bank, for example, and they will tell you that they need to verify certain informationbecause they believe that someone has entered your account, that you are going to receive a charge that does not correspond to you or anything.
They are going to try to scare you. They will assure you that action needs to be taken as soon as possible. They could even already be inside your account and all they will need is the two-step authentication code, which you may receive by SMS, to make a transfer and steal your money. To scam you, they could tell you to tell them that code and thus verify that you are the account holder. Logically, it is a scam.
We are going to raise the price
They could also use the strategy of a price rise. It is something that could put the victim on alert and, out of nervousness that there may be an error and that the price will increase, they give in to those questions and hand over their data. For example, they could impersonate the electric company saying something has happened and they are going to raise the price.
To avoid this price increase, they ensure that you need to update your rate and, to do so as quickly as possible, they will need your data. They will ask you for your bank account to verify, your card number and anything else they ask for. Again, we are facing a scam through a fake phone call.
Confirm data
They can call you from any company, whether it is a telephone service that you have contracted, a store where you have purchased something, etc. They will tell you that they are calling you to confirm your details. Maybe they stole some personal information, such as your name, surname, phone number and even your ID. Supposedly, they are going to tell you that there has been a failure in their database and they need to confirm that data with you so that you do not have problems and that, perhaps, things are missing.
As they are going to tell you certain information about you, it is possible that you believe that it really is that company and that it is true that there has been some problem. There will come a time, once they gain your trust, when they will tell you that certain data has been lost and that they need something. For example, they may ask for your physical address, bank card number to continue subscribing to a certain service, etc. What they are looking for is to steal the missing data to later take control of your account.
fake award
Through a fake prize, they will also be able obtain certain data that they need to control an account, steal money, etc. They are going to call you, they are going to tell you that you have won a prize and that they need some personal information to be able to send it to you. They can even impersonate something you use, if they have previously obtained that information.
Little by little they will ask you for information, such as your full name, address, email account… But there will also come a time when they will ask you for bank details to, supposedly, deposit the prize there, if it is financial, or simply to verify that it is you and deliver whatever to the correct person.
As you see, they can call you to scam you with different strategies. It is essential that you take precautionary measures, do not fall into the trap and always maintain common sense. Protecting your devices is essential and common sense is going to be key.
