Fake call center scam causes huge losses to consumers. At the end of last October, the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice unanimously decided that banks and payment institutions are responsible for compensating customers who suffer losses resulting from social engineering fraud, when there is a failure to protect data or identify suspicious transactions.
This decision somewhat alleviates the situation of consumers affected by bogus customers. In addition, financial institutions have issued warnings not to contact you by phone. Scammers often use phone calls.
These calls are generally made during business hours. In this way, they take advantage of professionals who are in the middle of their work environment, and who hardly have time to check, with a reliable source, whether there is indeed an alleged suspicious movement in their current accounts. After alerting the account holder, the scammers ask to confirm the data.
Scams do not only affect unwary people or people who are not aware of their rights and do not realize that they should always doubt such warnings. So much so that it happened to someone close to me, even though I have over 40 years of experience in consumer advocacy.
I repeat that the main way to avoid these frauds, as long as they are not completely curbed by financial institutions, is to remember that banks, the IRS and other public administrations do not care about account holders and taxpayers. Never believe a suspicious motion alert. Hang up the phone and call your checking account manager.
Never give out your password or hand over your cell phone SIM card. Your bank and credit card company will not send anyone to collect your cards and chips. This will definitely be a scam!
Anyone who runs their account through cell phone apps should update their antivirus software and not click on links or open unwanted attachments, even those sent by people they know.
On social media, there are scammers who create fake profiles and try to get your WhatsApp contact details. If this happens, block that contact. Do not advertise the purchase of vehicles or real estate on social media. Nothing gives the impression of financial prosperity.
Likewise, don’t get hung up on salary, rental income, stocks and other forms of income.
If you are injured, file a police report and speak to the bank manager. If the financial institution does not want to recoup what was stolen, contact Procon or an attorney to assert your rights.
But, be careful, I stress that the best solution is always not to fall into the trap of a scam, as recovering stolen money requires effort, and if you hire a lawyer, it will cost time and money.
Unfortunately, we have to be skeptical of all communications we receive over the phone that are not pre-arranged. I stress this, family and friends, every time they seem strange. In this case, contact the person who allegedly sent the request for money, which is a relatively common scam when cloning mobile phones.
Scammers are betting that you, full of obligations, especially during work hours, will be happy to leave the solution to a problem – bogus – in the hands of third parties. Avoiding scams takes time and work. But it goes without saying that spending some time is better than losing thousands of dollars.
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