Brazil has 4,678 “0800 scam” attempts per hour; see how to protect yourself

In a survey conducted with the Brazilian Public Security Forum, the Datafolha research institute presented figures on fraudulent calls in the country. There are 4,678 attempts per hour, made via phone call or app. It is worth noting that the period surveyed corresponds to the last 12 months.

Known as the “0800 scam,” the fraud begins with the scammer contacting the customer, who usually pretends to be a bank employee. In this way, the scammer aims to confirm an alleged purchase by the customer, made for a high amount. With the victim scared and without prior knowledge, they are transferred to a fake call center, where they provide their personal and financial information to the fraudster.

How to identify?

It is important for everyone to be aware of scams; this is the first step to avoiding them. The Brazilian Federation of Banks (Febraban) reports that there are three ways in which scammers can contact you: phone call, text message (SMS or WhatsApp) or when the person dials a fraudulent number and ends up being answered by a fake call center.

Therefore, the main way to avoid falling for the scam is to be suspicious and stay calm. The biggest challenge is to not make hasty decisions, since the information given by the scammer ends up causing concern. Febraban reinforces that no bank contacts customers to request information related to card passwords (via G1):

“The bank never calls the customer asking for a password or card number and it also never calls to ask to make a transfer or any type of payment.”

Febraban also warns that, in case of doubt, simply contact the bank through official channels.

_{Credit card information is requested in financial scams (Photo: reproduction/stevepb/Pixabay)}

Detailed numbers

According to Datafolha, scams carried out via messaging apps or phone calls are the most common in Brazil. Other notable scams include suspicions about very cheap prices on products on the internet and attempted scams using fake bank transfers or bills.

Furthermore, the research also indicated that there is considerable underreporting of cybercrimes. In other words, many people do not report that they have been victims of a scam.

Featured Photo: Scammers aim to steal financial data from bank customers (reproduction/TheDigitalWay/Pixabay)