5 scams that arrive on your cell phone

You receive a message on WhatsApp that says: "Hi dad, I dropped my phone and it broke, this is my new temporary number." It seems like the start of a normal conversation, but it's a ruthless trap. After a few messages, the scammer will urgently ask you for money to pay a bill or buy a new phone, relying on your parental love. Remember: before doing anything, try calling your loved one's old number. If they answer, you will have thwarted the theft!

You receive an SMS that appears to be sent from your bank or the Post Office. The tone is urgent: "Unauthorized access, click here to unlock your account". In a panic, many people click on the link and enter their personal information. At that moment, thieves gain access to your savings. Real banks will never ask you to enter passwords or codes through a link in a text message. If you have doubts, close everything and physically go to the branch to ask for information.

Who among us doesn't expect a package every now and then? Scammers know this and send messages saying that a shipment is blocked due to an incorrect address or a small customs fee to be paid. It may seem like a trivial matter, but those 2 euros are only meant to steal your credit card details. Once entered, malicious individuals will start withdrawing much larger sums. Never click on links sent by couriers if you are not sure you have recently ordered something.

An advertisement pops up or a message arrives: "Congratulations! You have been selected to receive an iPhone or a 500 euro shopping voucher". They ask you to answer a short survey and then pay only the shipping costs. Unfortunately, no one gives anything for free on the internet. It's just a trick to activate expensive subscriptions on your phone that will deduct credit from you every week without you noticing. If it seems too good to be true, it's probably a scam.

Your phone rings, you answer, and on the other end there is silence or a voice asking, "Can you hear me?". If you instinctively answer "Yes", be very careful. These scammers record your voice and use that "Yes" to activate contracts for electricity, gas, or phone services in your name that you never requested. The golden advice? If you don't recognize the number, answer with "Hello?" or "Who's calling?", but always avoid saying the word "Yes" until you are sure of who is on the other end of the line.