In recent years, cases of Scams related to cell phone purchases from phone companies, including iPhone and high-end Samsung phones. The thieves steal the identity of the victims in order to buy the devices at their own expense and resell them on the second-hand market or export them.
We have seen this in recent cases like that of Euskadi, where a man who collaborated with an entire organized gang was arrested. And it’s all basically due to one security breach of certain companies. This is why it is practical to know the way of working and thus keep us alert.
The classic method: call the operator by phone
There are basically two mechanisms by which scammers try to get a brand new mobile phone and for which, of course, they have not paid. The first of these is simply call customer service pretending to be the victim. Of course, he first needed to recap some information about the victim.
THE The victim’s personal information usually comes from data breaches. in which the surname, first name and identity document appear. The rest is history. They call the company, ask to buy a certain smartphone and, if they’re lucky, all they have to do is confirm some information to the company such as their first name, last name and ID.
Adding a different shipping address is key for scammers
As you probably already know if you have ever purchased a cell phone from a carrier, there is no need to pay for it on site. In fact, the most common is to pay them in installments with the usual monthly bill. This way, the victim might not know until they open the app and discover their order or, failing that, until the next bill arrives.
Yes, for make sure the endpoint reaches your domains and not the victim’sthe scammers give the company a new address. They usually vary the addresses and thus can receive the device without being discovered.
The most sophisticated method: with your account via the application
The goal of the scam is the same, although the means used may vary. Besides the first version, there are also those which They place the order through the victim’s app
So in the end, the process is the same. They buy from the app and since there is no data validation other than during login, they have carte blanche to place the order from the terminal and change delivery address for a new one where they can retrieve it without arousing suspicion.
The damage in the end is the same, and that’s the money for the device is the responsibility of the owner of the telephone line. As in the previous case, sometimes in cash and with the final total amount on the next invoice or other times with installment purchases.
How to be sure you are not a victim of this scam
It’s worth saying Companies are trying to fix these scams addition of additional identification elements when ordering a smartphone. They also add the need to send the package to the billing address of the owner of the line, which breaks with one of the scammers’ keys, which had to use another address.
However, it is always advisable be vigilant by applying these tips:
- Do not disclose your data to anyone that is not trusted, whether through a call or on a website that you received via text or email. The scammers’ first step is to get their hands on your data by pretending to be your business, but if they are the ones contacting you, they don’t really need the data because they already have it.
- Use two-factor authentication in the app from the company if they have one, as this will ensure that the scammer does not have enough power to access your account if they discover your password.
- Check monthly bills to ensure that there are no additional charges associated with purchasing a device that you did not authorize.
- Check out the ordering section in the app to ensure that no device has been requested in your name.
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