A resident of Puente Genil, Cordoba, reported an attempted telephone scam made from a number beginning with +400. This new prefix, a measure of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, aims to unite all companies that make commercial calls. That way, when we get a call with this prefix, we’ll know it’s a company trying to sell us a service.
However, this is not an accurate measure, and scam attempts through this prefix are the order of the day. We have the most recent example in the aforementioned city of Córdoba, where a neighbor assured the municipal police that someone using this prefix posed as an Iberdrola employee in an attempt to scam him.
A tool for scammers. Scammers are quick to turn this symbol into a trap, since a number that looks “official” can lower a person’s guard. According to local police in Puente Genil, the neighbor gave him his bank information after the other person on the phone pretended to work for Iberdrola.
that has passed. The local police of the municipality indicated that the victim received a call from a number +400. After posing as an employee of an energy company, he was able to obtain the resident’s bank details “through fraud”. The scam is called ‘vishing’, a telephone scam where criminals impersonate well-known companies to gain the victim’s trust.
main point It should be noted that a 400 prefix only indicates that the call is commercial. Knowing that the person on the other side is going to be honest is not a measure. Local police say a call that starts with +400 “doesn’t guarantee it’s legitimate” and that criminals can use the number to scam people. Anyone can read the prefix on your phone and believe it’s a purely commercial call, and scammers count on it.
What the police recommend. We from Xataka reached out to the local police in Puente Genil to learn more about the case, along with some advice:
- We must be wary of unsolicited calls requesting personal or banking information. We should never share passwords, verification codes or our card details.
- We should not rely only on the number displayed on the screen, as it can easily be changed to give us a sense of confidence.
- When in doubt, hang up and contact the company through official channels.
If you have already provided your banking details, the best course of action is to contact your bank immediately so they can block any fraudulent transactions.
Second incident in the same city. In September, a local woman told police she received a call from someone claiming to be from her bank. The caller even knew the exact balance of his account, minus cents, according to local media Puente Janell Ok, asking the victim to press a key to continue. The bank later confirmed to the police that they do not make such calls or ask customers to follow that procedure.
We have to get used to it. The 400 prefix is brand new, so people are still learning how to deal with it, an opportunity that scammers can take advantage of. What we can do is treat any unsolicited call requesting personal information as suspicious, regardless of the number it comes from. And if you need to verify a call, dial an official number you get yourself, this way you can avoid any problems.
Cover image Nordwood theme
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