The Rise of Phone Scams

Nowadays, people are almost afraid to answer a call from an unknown number and hear, once again, an artificial voice say: 'Hi, we received your resume. Add this number on WhatsApp.' Most users immediately realize something is off and simply hang up. However, someone who might be looking for a job and has indeed sent out several resumes recently hopes to finally get a response and could fall into the trap. But what exactly does the scam consist of? What happens if you add the number, as requested by the bot? Many will have immediately sensed, upon hearing the voice, that it is a shady affair, and indeed it is a scam. As Today explains, it is not a company hiring that contacts the user, but someone with the goal of stealing data and money. If you agree to the request to add the number on WhatsApp, you enter a complex scheme that includes various chats, links, and content behind the promise of earning with just a few clicks. The fake company will explain via message what the offer is about: it is looking for people who can help increase interactions and likes on the content of some creators on YouTube so they can earn up to '400 euros a day.' To earn money, you only need to 'like and send screenshots.' The next step is to express interest in this 'part-time job,' as it is described in the messages, to get the first task, which is the link to a video to like in order to earn 3 euros. However, once done, the money does not arrive, while more steps are added: you need to contact a manager who will ask for the user's data, namely the IBAN, name and surname of the account holder, and the bank. From this point on, the 'breadcrumb strategy' is implemented, as reconstructed by an investigation by the Carabinieri of Parma, which means gaining the user's trust with many small transfers until a lot of money is requested with the promise of returning even more. Yet, once the loot is received, the scammer will disappear into thin air.