The Aude gendarmerie recorded a complaint this Tuesday, March 26, from parents who were victims of phishing, namely the sending of a message by a scammer who pretends to be a relative with the aim of extracting money. A couple therefore learned this the hard way, resulting in losses of around €2,000.
You must have certainly received this type of message on your cell phone. From a number that is foreign to you, your so-called child tells you that he has had a problem with his cell phone (“hello mom/dad. My phone is broken. This is my new phone number. You can save this, send me a message via whatsapp; Hello mom, it’s me. I had a problem with my number phone number, this is my temporary number. Send me a message on WhatsApp on this number as soon as possible! I won’t be able to answer you here anymore as I no longer have credit, I have to talk to you about something; dad mom I lost my sim card here is my new number, test it on Whatshapp”).
This is ultimately a fraudulent message, because after having simulated a problem with his mobile phone, the scammer, who usurps the identity of the child, then demands money from the parent for various reasons such as buying a new phone or a financial problem. This money is requested by transfer, by transmitting the parent’s bank card details or by sending payment coupon codes.
In Aude, parents learned about it the hard way and paid the sum of €2,000 before realizing that it was indeed a scam and filing a complaint with the gendarmerie on Tuesday March 26.
It is advisable, when you receive this type of impersonal message, not to respond, not to send money before having formally identified your interlocutor, to call your child directly on their telephone number, to report the fraudulent message on the 33 700 platform or by SMS to 33 700 (free service), report the attempted fraud on the dedicated platform.
If you have paid and are therefore the victim of this scam, immediately alert your bank of the fraudulent transaction to try to suspend the transfer if it has not yet been made. Otherwise, request the return of the funds. Your bank may require a copy of your complaint to process your request. If you have communicated information about your means of payment, immediately object to your bank or via the interbank credit card opposition service.
Note that this scam is an offense punishable by five years of imprisonment and a fine of 375,000 euros.
