A sophisticated and dangerous scam was about to cost 40 thousand euros to a married couple from Caserta. Only the timely intervention of the bank prevented the draining of their account. The episode was reported by Fortunato Giaquinto, president of the Consumers Union, who launched an appeal for caution in similar cases.
Article Key Points
The deception took place last November 20, when the spouses PG and MC, holders of a current account at BNL, received a call apparently coming from the bank's official toll-free number, 060060The interlocutor, introducing himself as a BNL operator, warned the couple that their payment card was expiring and that, to activate the new one, it was necessary to install an application on the smartphone and enter their personal data.
Deceived by the credibility of the number, the couple followed the instructions, believing they were in contact with the bank's customer service. However, suspicious of the lack of further communication, they decided to verify the situation by calling the branch directly.
At this point, the real BNL operator immediately recognized the suspicious activity and checked the account, discovering that unauthorized transfers had been scheduled for a total of 40mila euros. These transfers, if completed, would have emptied the couple's account.
Transfers blocked in time
Thanks to the timely control, fraudulent transfers were blocked before being executed, thus saving the couple from a huge financial loss. The affair ended with the cancellation of the transactions and the start of an investigation to identify those responsible for the scam.
Fortunato Giaquinto, president of the Consumers Union, underlined the importance of Don't blindly trust calls, even if they come from apparently official numbers. “Banks never ask you to install applications via phone calls or provide sensitive data in this way”, Giaquinto said, urging citizens to contact their branch directly if they have any doubts.
Article published on November 29, 2024 - 11:14
This article is very interesting and makes you think about how easy it is to fall for similar scams. It is important to always be cautious and verify the information before acting, especially when it comes to personal data.