Nuoro, “spoofing” scam alert: spike in cases. What they are and how to defend yourself

In Nuoro there is a telephone scam alert .

The State Police launched it, as these days there has been a surge in reports with numerous attempted scams, implemented through a particular modus operandi that is putting the savings of many citizens at risk .

In fact, the criminals use the caller ID spoofing technique, which allows them to alter the number displayed on the victim's phone, making it appear as if it comes from the customer service of a credit institution .

Methods that have allowed the victims' current accounts to be emptied of tens of thousands of euros .

The mechanism of the scam is as follows: the criminals contact the victims by telephone, introducing themselves as bank employees and informing them that a joint operation with the State Police is underway .

According to the interlocutor, there are employees inside the credit institution who are stealing sums of money from customers' current accounts, thus endangering the victims' savings . To make it all even more credible, the scammer claims that the victims will be contacted shortly by personnel from the State Police, in particular from the Nuoro Police Headquarters, to be updated on the situation . And, in fact, shortly after, the people are called by other criminals who identify themselves as members of the police force. These calls are also made using caller ID spoofing, so that the number displayed corresponds to that of the switchboard of the Ministry of the Interior - Nuoro Police Headquarters, giving an apparent authenticity to the call . Convinced of the truthfulness of the situation and fearing for the safety of their savings, the victims are thus convinced to physically go to the credit institution and make transfers to current accounts provided by the scammers, with the justification that this operation is necessary to "secure" their money.

At this point, the criminals promise that, once the complaint has been filed with the Police Headquarters, the money will be returned. But at that point the loot has already been stolen from the victim. Law enforcement warns citizens to be very careful with these scams, which are based on the psychological manipulation of the victims, exploiting the perceived reliability of institutions and banks. Under no circumstances will the Police or a credit institution request wire transfers or money transfers as part of an ongoing investigation.

It is essential to be wary of any suspicious telephone communication and contact the competent authorities or your bank directly to verify the authenticity of the request. The Police ask you to immediately contact the emergency number and report any attempted scam to the police, who are intensifying checks to prevent and combat these crimes.