A new scam that impersonates Social Security circulates via SMS and through social networks. The Spanish Consumer Association (Asescon) has launched an alert after receiving several reports of this SMS fraud, with the majority of those affected in Andalusia and Madrid.
The Spaniards claim to have received a text message from Social Security indicating that their “new health card” is already available and that all they have to do to view it is click on a link.
The association reiterates that “public administrations do not act in that way and do not send messages of that type.”
They recommend not falling into the trap of clicking on the link, since this ‘phishing’ is a bait to access personal data and even infect devices with a virus.
Asescon invites those affected to report these cases to the State Security Forces and Bodies in order for them to be investigated and, in addition, requests that similar cases be sent to its email in order to “serve as a loudspeaker for the Spanish citizens do not fall into any more traps.
This fraudulent practice impersonating Social Security is just one of the many recent strategies that have been detected in recent weeks.
In another recent case, for example, the RE/MAX company has publicly warned this week that another scam is circulating, with an alleged affordable real estate rental, in which they are posing as their brand to obtain personal information and ask for amounts of money. .
The scam begins with an email, which requests the client’s personal data: highlighting the postal address of the potential interested party, as well as his telephone number, and a copy of the DNI, payroll application, bank IBAN and the deposit advance of three months of the rental amount of the property.
The brand explains that none of its agents would charge in advance, emphasizing clients to doubt any request that includes a commission to rent a property.
To protect against deception techniques and exposing personal data, the following should be taken into account:
Verify the identity of the sender. You should never share personal or financial information through unsolicited SMS or emails. The identity of the entity should always be verified before providing information.
The authenticity of the ad and advertiser must be verified. Before you commit to renting a property, you should first thoroughly research the landlord and the property. This will prevent you from making deposits or providing personal information.
Asescom suggests being aware of the latest cyber scams and sharing the information with friends and family to help prevent them from becoming a victim.