The telephone scams are the order of the day. The news of an increase in calls for the purpose of phishing (or, more precisely, vishing) coming from numbers with the prefix +31 (0031) of the Netherlands. The call, similarly to the scam in Portugal, aims to steal personal information from the victim. Sometimes, this request is made by a recorded voice that invites you to save the number in your address book to continue the conversation on WhatsApp; in some cases, the request for personal data could be justified by the promise of benefits, such as obtaining a job. This last aspect makes these calls particularly dangerous for those who are actually looking for a job, perhaps even abroad, and have recently sent a CV. To avoid the scam, you must maintain a high level of attention, not answer suspicious calls and not agree to “particular” requests.
How the Netherlands +31 Prefix Scam Works
The How the Netherlands +31 prefix scam workslike many scams of this kind, relies on the naivety of the users who fall victim to it. These phone calls (often automated), in fact, reach hundreds of users, increasing the chances of success for the cyber criminals who perpetrate these attacks.
If out of 100 users contacted at least 1 or 2 have recently sent a CV abroad, the request to receive information on the CV sent by the candidate could seem credible, and potential victims could actually fall into the trap set by criminals. If the users in question do not realize that it is a scam and agree to provide their personal data, they could suffer a identity theft or run into a bank fraud.
Why Scammers Call From Foreign Numbers
But why scammers call from foreign numbers? The question is more than legitimate. The reasons can be various and complex. In many cases, foreign numbers can make it more difficult for the authorities to trace the identity of the calleras these numbers are often used by services VoIP (Voice over IP), which allow the real geographical origin of the call to be disguised, making it more difficult to identify and prosecute scammers.
In addition to this, by using numbers from different countries, scammers can cover a wider range of potential victims and make it more difficult to spot “common patterns” in their fraudulent activities.
How to protect yourself from telephone scams
The guidelines for defend yourself from vishing attacks they are always the same: you should not answer suspicious phone calls coming from numbers not saved in the address book (especially if coming from foreign numbers), You should not call back suspicious foreign numbers if there was no time to respond and, clearly, you do not need to provide personal and/or banking information to strangers.
