Scammers often target mobile phone owners. Where they obtained their phone number is unknown. The calls appear to be automated, based on a pre-established phone number list. Victims of this criminal scam receive unsolicited calls, usually from abroad. Spain and Italy are common countries of origin for such calls (within Europe). Those called hear a pre-recorded text, often from a computer-generated voice. This voice reports that they have been the victim of a possible fraud, that payments have already been made from their (PayPal) account, or, in other words, that there have been "suspicious" debits or incidents on their account. This is a lie.
Recipients of such calls should hang up immediately and block the number to protect themselves from further scams via these automated call systems. Most phones/smartphones and communication providers support this feature.
The goal of these criminals:
- They attempt to obtain access data to your PayPal, Amazon, or other account.
- You are often asked to perform an action, such as pressing a specific key that connects you to a supposedly official call center.
- Or you are encouraged to call back, usually to foreign numbers, at your own expense and initiative.
- You are encouraged to make a payment.
Here’s what you can do to prevent it:
- Typically, no employee of a financial institution or trading platform will call you unsolicited. Always remain skeptical of such calls. Never disclose important login information, PIN numbers, passwords, or account numbers over the phone!
- Never make any further payment that you may be asked to make as a result of such calls
- Regularly check your PayPal or Amazon account and the listed debits and orders. Regularly change your account login information, such as your password. Enable the two-factor authentication offered for your account.
- Block dubious numbers immediately in your phone app, with your telecommunications provider, or with your PBX. Most PBXs have a dedicated administration area for blocking phone numbers.
- Do not publicly disclose your telephone number, especially not in competitions, membership applications on websites or publicly accessible texts on the Internet.
If you have suffered damage as a result of such criminal activities, report it to the police immediately.