Scams are a widespread phenomenon and primarily target the frail or elderly, leaving indelible marks on them. In addition to the financial loss and psychological trauma of the invasion of their personal space, victims also suffer the guilt of having been defrauded. Scammers exploit the emotional sensitivity and physical fragility of the elderly to gain their trust, using a wide variety of methods.
This is the alarm raised by the Carabinieri, which notes that " unfortunately, the Province of Cagliari is not immune to this problem. In recent months, numerous reports of scams have been filed with various Carabinieri offices in the Province. The main type is online fraud, which involves sending messages or emails impersonating banks or organizations to steal passwords and OTPs, or selling items at excessively low prices on unreliable websites, with advance payment and goods never shipped, or even promises of easy profits on unauthorized platforms.
But scams using the fake Carabiniere/Policeman/Financial Police method have also been numerous, both over the phone and in person. In these cases, the "privileged" victims are the elderly and the perpetrators, who, to obtain what they ask for, exert strong psychological pressure on the victim, often by frightening them, to the point of successfully obtaining their request.
The Cagliari police's work on the phenomenon, primarily in terms of prevention and subsequent repression, has borne fruit, as on many occasions the victim has not fallen into the scammers' trap, managing, in some circumstances, to have them arrested red-handed or at least identified and reported at liberty, recovering the stolen valuables, as happened last week when the Carabinieri of the Iglesias Company reported at liberty two people who had perpetrated a scam by pretending to be financial police officers.
Here are some helpful tips on how to prevent some of the most common scams.
1) FAKE LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL SCAM
A phone call from a phony law enforcement official or lawyer leads the victim to believe that a relative has been involved in a car accident or arrested. The victim is asked for a sum of money to provide medical or legal assistance to a loved one in need. If the victim accepts, the caller informs them that an assistant or plainclothes Carabiniere will shortly arrive at their home to collect the cash.
ADVICE:
- be wary of appearances;
- never open the door to strangers;
- don't rely on the identification card alone: it's not enough;
- Remember that law enforcement never asks for money to assist citizens.
2) SCAM BY FAKE TECHNICIANS SUPPLY COMPANIES
Scammers, disguised as water or gas technicians, show up at the victim's door, claiming there's a serious problem at home that needs to be addressed immediately. Preying on the victim's anxiety and worry, they urge them to protect their valuables from potential gas leaks or other threats by placing them in a bag inside the freezer, which they then skillfully steal.
ADVICE:
- be wary of appearances;
- never open the door to strangers;
- Don't rely on your ID card alone: it's not enough!
- contact the supply company;
- If you have let strangers into your home, don't get distracted and, without losing your calm, firmly ask them to leave;
- Remember that no organization or company sends its employees on home visits to collect payments;
- All utility companies (gas, electricity, water, and telephone) always announce their arrival with notices to the condominium, communicated well in advance.
3) CALL CENTER SCAM
The scammer contacts the victim by phone, posing as a call center operator. The fake operator asks trivial questions to trick the victim into answering "yes," which is then extracted and used as a form of consent to activate a new supply contract. The victim becomes aware of the scam upon receiving their first bill.
ADVICE:
- be wary of appearances;
- If you do not understand the identity of the person calling, you should ask questions and avoid responding by providing your personal information;
- In the event of an unsolicited contract or activation, send a written complaint to the supplier via registered mail or certified email;
- limit your confidence to the telephone.
4) MIRROR SCAM
The scammer tricks the victim into believing that they have accidentally stolen their car. The victim hears a sharp bang on their bodywork, usually on the side (actually caused by the scammer using a rock or stick). The scammer demands that the victim assess the damage and pay a sum of money to avoid an insurance claim, using aggressive language if necessary.
ADVICE:
- stay in the car without getting out of the vehicle;
- close the rear and passenger side windows to prevent any accomplices from stealing your personal items;
- demand that you immediately call the emergency number 112.
5) DECEIVING EMAIL SCAM (so-called “phishing”)
The scammer sends the victim a deceptive message/email claiming they've won a large sum of money in a lottery or some other type of prize. The victim is then asked to perform an action (for example, clicking a link or downloading an app) to steal their personal information for the purpose of accessing their bank accounts or for other criminal activities.
ADVICE:
- Install an antivirus program on your PC and keep it updated;
- pay attention to the sender's full email address and to the presence of spelling errors in the text;
- never open emails received from unknown senders;
- Never click on links in suspicious emails, and if you do, do not log in to the fake site; close your browser immediately.
- Never respond to emails asking you for your personal information, including usernames, passwords, security codes, and payment card details;
- Change your passwords immediately and enable two-factor authentication if you have shared your data;
- If you have shared your payment information, contact your bank immediately to block your payment methods.
6) FAKE SMS SCAM (so-called “smishing”)
The scammer sends the victim an SMS, aiming to acquire personal, financial, or security information by asking the victim to click on a link and/or enter their personal information on a malicious website.
In other cases, the scammer sends the victim a text message from an unknown number, pretending to be a child or relative, and claims their phone is broken. The scammer then asks for a reply message containing the victim's personal information.
ADVICE:
- never open messages received from unknown senders;
- Never respond to text messages asking you to provide your personal information, including usernames, passwords, security codes, and payment card details;
- Change your passwords immediately and enable two-factor authentication if you have shared your data;
- If you have shared your payment information, contact your bank immediately to block your payment methods.
7) TELEPHONE FRAUD (so-called “vishing”)
The scammer, through a phone call, attempts to convince the victim to divulge personal, financial, or security information or to wire them money, pretending to be a representative of a service provider. This type of scam typically follows a deceptive text message or email.
ADVICE:
- never open messages received from unknown senders;
- never answer calls, even from call centers, asking you to provide your personal information, including usernames, passwords, security codes, and payment card details;
- Change your passwords immediately and enable two-factor authentication if you have shared data;
- If you have shared your payment information, contact your bank immediately to block your payment methods.
8) ONLINE BUYING AND SELLING SCAM
Through fake advertisements selling products or services at particularly advantageous prices, the scammer convinces their victims to pay a deposit, even a significant amount, before disappearing into thin air. In these cases, the victim is asked to pay the money using methods that offer no protection for the buyer: a Postepay card, for example, allows the scammer to immediately access the funds and withdraw them before the victim can attempt to revoke the payment.
ADVICE:
- be wary of offers that appear to be very advantageous;
- ask for detailed photos of the products you intend to purchase (e.g., a hard-to-see detail), so you can verify that the seller actually has it available;
- keep the payment receipt and any screenshots of conversations;
- use only traceable payment methods.
- For any emergency, always call the Emergency Number 112.
(Unioneonline)
