«Mom, I broke my phone, write to me on this number», and the scam starts. There is also a boom in reports in Calabria

Published on: 10/05/2024 – 7:15

REGGIO CALABRIA “Mom… I dropped my phone in water and now it doesn’t work. I have a new number. Can you write me a message on Whatsapp now?”. It’s still “Mom my phone is broken and this is the new number». They are not really text messages from children to their mothers, but the text of messages that actually hide a scam which can lead potential victims to respond by contacting the indicated number, allowing criminals to gain possession of sensitive data and bank details. In Calabria, as in other parts of Italy, reports and complaints to the police are increasingly frequent. Even on social media, there are increasingly more posts denouncing attempted scams of this kind, which fortunately, often thanks to the attention of the relatives of potential victims – often elderly – are not successful.

A scam technique that adds to that of criminals who introduce themselves to their victim by pretending to be members of the police force staging a fake accident in which a relative would have been involved. Both in these cases and in those of the messages the scammers they try to get the victims’ attention by scaring them and affecting them emotionally. In recent days, Locride has been particularly affected, but reports are coming from all parts of Calabria. «I ask you to pay maximum attention because in these hours several fellow citizens are victims of a scam. They are contacted by scammers who pose as representatives of the police force and invent that one of the family members has had an accident or is in custody and then ask for money. Pay attention, don’t trust and don’t be scared”, is the message spread on social media by the mayor of Bovalino and president of the Association of Municipalities of Locride Vincenzo Maesano. (mr)

Corriere della Calabria is also on WhatsApp. Just click here to subscribe to the channel and always be updated

Latest from Corriere della Calabria