Telephone scams and other forms of fraud have reached worrying levels in Spain over the summer. Among the most common scams are bogus missed calls, the vacation booking scam and bogus telephone assistance numbers, all designed to trick victims in a sophisticated way and cause them to lose large amounts of money.
A customer was the victim of one of these scams a few days ago. His car broke down and stopped on the road, where he parked his vehicle and looked up the company's number on the Internet to call a tow truck. The first one that came up was a fake number that automatically redirected him to another fake number whose rate was exorbitant.
In the case of the missed call scam, criminals make a quick call and hang up before the person can answer. Out of curiosity, many people return the call without knowing that the number is associated with a premium rate service, resulting in a high cost on the victim's phone bill. This fraud is common with international numbers, and authorities have issued warnings about the dangers of returning calls to unknown numbers.
In parallel, in the vacation booking scam, fraudsters set up fake websites or pose as representatives of legitimate real estate agencies, tricking tourists into making additional payments after they have made a booking on recognized platforms. A recent case involved a family from Bilbao who tried to book an apartment in Madrid. After making an additional payment of 590 euros to a supposed real estate agency, they discovered that the accommodation did not exist and that they had been victims of a scam.
Apology note in the car
In addition to these scams, there has been a resurgence of the car hit with a note scam, in which scammers lightly tap a parked vehicle and leave an apology note with a phone number, inviting the owner to call to resolve the problem. However, the number provided belongs to a premium rate line, which generates a cost for the victim during the call, while the scammers unnecessarily prolong the conversation.
In view of the increase in these incidents, the authorities have intensified their warnings to citizens, recommending to verify the authenticity of any communication related to payments and to be cautious when receiving calls from unknown numbers.
In response to this wave of scams, several insurance companies have developed specific products to protect consumers. Among them, Mapfre has launched cyber risk insurance designed for individuals and businesses, offering coverage against cyber fraud and identity theft, providing reimbursement for financial losses and legal assistance for victims. AXA, Allianz and Zurich have followed a similar line, offering policies that not only cover financial losses, but also include data recovery services and additional protection against information theft.
These initiatives by insurers underscore the need to be prepared for the increasingly sophisticated risks of cyber scams, and citizens are advised to take additional precautionary measures, such as avoiding sharing personal information over the phone and verifying the identity of those they contact, to protect themselves against potential fraud.
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Source: Galilea Group
