They pretend to be deliverers, chat with you by SMS and push you to click on a fraudulent link. However, a simple question is enough to reveal the scam. And the trick is in two words.
For several months, mysterious messages have multiplied on phones. They look like a banal question, but actually register in the long list of scams by SMS. You have probably already received links on which click, in particular for missed delivery notices or messages encouraging to pay for alleged customs fees. Now the crooks have found a new way of trapping their victims.
Rather than limiting themselves to a trapped link, they seek to engage a conversation. SMS takes on the appearance of a human exchange, with quick and polished responses that maintain the illusion of a real delivery man. A first message asks you if you are at home, a second specifies that the package did not enter the mailbox, a third proposes to iron or place the package in relay point. All, of course, leads to a fraudulent link where you have to enter your personal and banking contact details.
However, there is a simple way to thwart this scenario. Faced with this kind of message, the right question to ask is: “Who is it?”. Behind the screen, there is no real interlocutor, but automated software programmed to respond only to certain keywords, recalls the UFC-Que Choisir. Ask “who is?” Then triggers an inconsistent response or no response at all. This is a sign that it is not a human, but an attempted scam.
It is better not to extend the discussion. Never click on the links received by SMS. In case of doubt, go directly to the official website of the carrier. You can transfer the suspicious message to 33700, the number implemented by the public authorities to combat spam and scams, or carry out a signalconso and cybermalvence report. Finally, if your banking data has been transmitted by mistake, immediately oppose and monitor your account.