Beware! Banking scammers are on the prowl!
I had two messages in the past couple of weeks and I am writing this just in case you get the same messages and you know what to do, if you do! Message 2: Dear customer , due to the BVN validation in compliance with CBN Directives, your ATM have been De-activated call our customer help line 08169149684!
The messages came by text to my mobile phone. I have refused to call any of the numbers mentioned in the texts because I know that they are scammers who have simply laid out a trap for me to spring. Calling the numbers would amount to me being caught by the trap. And I really have no intention of wasting my phone airtime for an inquiry that is not in any way real. I have not checked with the banks because I know for sure if my bank has any issue with my BVN or any of my accounts they would contact me not necessarily by phone text message, but preferably by email messages. The other thing I noted was that there were grammatical errors in those messages that are not likely to be committed by a bank that addresses customers on a regular basis.
I have since then been wondering how the scammers would get into my bank account. Funds can be transferred online these days so if I so much as release my account number and my secret ATM access number to the scammers which is the usual plan they would use the details to get into my account and withdraw whatever money I have there.
Scammers have become very sophisticated. These days, they go to the extent of building fake websites which they use to collect data and eventually gain access to bank accounts that they wish to steal from. Another approach is for them to have accounts in various banks and to institute transfers to these accounts as soon as they get the details which include the account number and the ATM code.
I have also learned that lost ATM or credit cards can be used to swipe or often there are default codes that can be used to cancel existing card codes so as to give the scammer access to the money in the account. There are many scammers on the prowl so we ought to be careful. Please note the GSM numbers in this story would belong to sly people who might be out to pull a fast one on you, so do be careful if you wish to call the numbers!
The following tips are from Clark.com
- Just hit delete! Ignore instructions to confirm your phone number or visit a link. Some scam texts instruct you to text "STOP" or "NO" to prevent future texts. But this is a common ploy by scammers to confirm they have a real, active phone number.
- Read your phone bill. Check your phone bill for services you haven't ordered. Some charges may appear only once, but others might be monthly "subscriptions."
- Know your rights. Real commercial text messages must provide a free, easy way for you to opt out of future communication.
No comments:
Post a Comment