Scams are a very serious problem for most mobile device users, especially for the most vulnerable people, such as the elderly. There are scams via WhatsApp, phone calls and SMS.
One of the most common methods of scam and fraud is to pretends to be a family memberor a friend or relative of the victim, and thus obtain money or an advantage. The National Police has advice to avoid this.
The police’s trick to avoid falling for scams. It always works
“I’m in trouble and I need your help”. Identity theft is one of the most commonly used methods of fraud. Criminals pretend to be a child or family member in need who is in urgent need of money, and at random
The National Police even warns of the risk that cybercriminals could falsify people’s voices using artificial intelligence, and thus deceive victims who, upon hearing the voice, will trust them enough to send money or comply with the scammers’ requests.
The solution proposed by the Police is to use a “secret family key”
“You will just need to ask for this password to make sure whether or not the person is who they claim to be.. It could be your great-grandmother’s name, the name of your favorite stuffed animal when you were a child, or the lyrics to a song that means a lot to you. Any key will do, even if it only means something to you.”
It is a simple idea, but undoubtedly very effective. By establishing a secret key, a family password, we can know for sure if the person who calls us and claims to be a member of our family really is, thus avoiding falling into deception and being a victim of scams that can cost us thousands of dollars.
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By | Genbeta
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