Although it is true that communication has been revolutionized with the emergence of new technologies and instant messaging apps such as Whatsapp or Telegram, phone calls continue to be one of the options chosen by the vast majority to communicate quickly. In this sense, answering the phone by saying 'yes' is one of the quickest ways to start a conversation with the person on the other end of the phone line. However, security experts warn of the danger of saying “yes” as soon as you pick up the phone. Not in vain, we can be victims of scams by cybercriminals without us being aware of it.
As warned by the National Cybersecurity Institute of Spain (INCIBE), the simple act of picking up the phone and saying “yes” can lead to the authorization – without us realizing it – of “financial transactions, contracts or even falsifying our identity". To avoid being a victim of this type of scam, it is advisable to respond by saying other expressions such as “tell me” or “who.”
The Cybersecurity Institute recommends carrying out an internet search for our full name from time to time to find out if our identity is circulating on any fraudulent pages or forums. This technique called egosurfing is used to find out if personal information about yourself is found in the cloud. If you believe that, in fact, you have been a victim of a scam, go to the State Security Forces and Corps to report the incident and thus prevent it from going unpunished.
To prevent scams over the telephone, it is advisable to carry out a series of prevention measures.
