The Scam of SMS Unicredit, a well -known Italian banking group, is used by attackers to hit with a new wave of online fraud based on fake messages. “Unicredit confirms provision from c/c of € 1,790.00, for reports calls: 0282196485». A sms like this is enough to panic who receives it. The alarm for an alleged unauthorized charge pushes many people to react impulse, contacting the number indicated or by clicking on a fraudulent link. It is one of the most common variations of the demishing, a form of phishing that uses SMS to steal confidential information and, in the worst cases, empty current accounts. In this study we will see how to recognize these misleading messages and, above all, how to learn to defend yourself. We will also discover that behind the scam there is not only technology, but an in -depth knowledge of the psychological mechanisms that guide human behavior: this is where the so -called social engineering (or social engineering) comes into play, the art of manipulating people to achieve what you want. Knowing how it works is the first step in not falling into similar digital trains.
How to recognize the new scam of fake SMS Unicredit and how it works
False SMS on behalf of Unicredit, such as those reported in recent weeks, come from common numbers and often convince the bank’s official communications convincingly. In some cases they may even appear in the same thread authentic SMS received in the past by the bank, making it difficult to distinguish false communications from authentic ones. The typical message informs of a suspicious operation or an imminent payment and invites you to call or click on a link to block everything. At this point the scammers enter the scene, who pretend to be operators of assistance and ask the user to confirm credentials, spectacular passwords or temporary codes: data that allow them to access directly to the online account and empty it in a few minutes.
Amalia, a lady who stumbled upon this scam (fortunately remaining unharmed), to the newspaper Sicily He told the dynamics of the incident in these terms:
When I received the SMS I hesitated. Then, aware that my ninety -year -old mother has a nominal account in this credit institution, I made the nonsense of calling. I progressively understood that my interlocutor was interested in acquiring codes and passwords of the Multichannel bank. When I replied that I did not have the online account, it hijacked me generically towards the reference agency. Shortly thereafter he recalled me. I replied that I was in a hurry and that I would try to resolve the question through the agency and the rude on the other side of the phone asked me before I reattached, I was running by the lover. Removing any doubt about the truthfulness of that SMS.
How to defend yourself from the fraudulent messages of Unicredit
Since similar attempts can take anyone who abruptly, here are some tips to defend themselves from this kind of computer scams.
- Pay attention to the messages containing links: Unicredit’s authentic SMS never contain links that refer to the access page to the Multichannel bank service. In any case, when an authentic unicredit message includes a link, this is always structured as https: // unicredit/name prophpled,
and serves exclusively to illustrate products or services, never to request the entry of personal data. In addition, the authentic message always reports your name and the reference branch with the complete address of the latter. - Do not provide confidential information by telephone: if the SMS invites you to recall a number, remember that operators never ask for passwords, PIN, security codes or payment authorizations. If in doubt, if a communication seems real, ascertaining this by putting you in contact directly with the UNICREDIT customer service by calling the toll -free number 800 57 57 57 or by accessing your personal area through the official website manually entered in the browser addresses bar.
- Pay attention to the typical signals of social engineering: communications with urgent tones, requests for personal data or pressure to perform immediate actions, they are all typical signals of social engineering. NO BANK, let alone Unicredit, will ever ask you to provide codes or credentials through SMS or incoming calls.
