He National Institute for Cybersecurity (INCIBE)a company dependent on the Ministry of Economy and Digital Transformation, warned about the “yes” scam this week. This deception happens when we answer “yes” to a call, something that “hidden risks“.
The technique is used by scammers and cybercriminals to deceive people, as INCIBE explains on its website “unprepared”. “For example, with the technology of vishing(a combination of voice and phishing) fraudulently obtain confidential information from users,” the agency said.
However, cyber scams are “constantly innovating” and “cybercriminals have found other ways to exploit users to gain their benefits.” How is your voice recorded?“. Since it is very common to answer “yes” to calls, these scammers take advantage of this to get calls false consent of his victims.
“By recording our voice, fraudsters can use it to approve financial transactions, contracts or even forge our identities,” The cybersecurity organization has stated. In addition to this risk, “voice recordings are also possible.” manipulated and used as evidence in situations that could jeopardize our reputation.”
How does the “Yes” scam work?
The deception begins when the victim receives a call from a scammer pretends to be a bank, customer service of a company or a sales service. This will give you some information about the victim to convince them that he knows information about them and to build trust. However, there is a shorter way: answer “Yes” when the phone is picked up and no one answers.
Going back to the first example, the cybercriminal asks questions so the answer is “yes.” “These questions might contain phrases like: ‘¿¿Do you authorize transactions? at the moment?’ or “Are you happy to receive updates about our services?” the organization detailed.
Next, they wait for a “yes” and record it using an app. With this record, these fraudsters “sign up for a banking service on behalf of the victim.” “You can do this by calling the financial or service institution and providing the voice recording.” as supposed confirmation of identity,” they add from INCIBE.
What should I do if I fall victim to the “Yes” scam?
First of all, the agency points out that once the fraud is discovered, the victim “You should take immediate action to resolve the issue.” The first thing you need to do is calm down to make a rational decision. If you believe the call is a scam, do not answer any further questions or provide any further information and hang up as quickly as possible. Then you need to check that Legitimacy: “If the call purports to be from a legitimate financial institution or company, look for that organization’s official contact number and call them directly to verify the authenticity of the call.” “Do not use the contact information provided by the suspected scammer as this could be wrong,” explains the agency.
Then you must “Monitor accounts” and ” Closely monitor bank accounts and credit cards for unusual activity.” ” If you notice it Report any unauthorized transactions to your bank immediately. Details. Control the information circulating about you on the Internet and activate Google Alerts to receive notifications about mentions of your name or personal information and to be able to take the necessary measures to remove them from the Internet.
you also have to Change passwords and security codes. On the other hand, keep records by saving any relevant evidence such as phone numbers, call records, emails or text messages received during the scam. Finally, report the fraud. It is better to avoid and prevent this whole situation so as not to fall into cyber scams that are becoming more and more common.