You have received a call from a number starting with +44. Be careful! It may be a telephone scam.
The +44 is the country code for the United Kingdom, but that does not mean that the call is actually coming from there. Fraudsters use techniques such as spoofing, which allows them to display a fake number on your screen.
The crooks try to convince their victims to carry out a series of easy online tasks in order to earn money. But to do that, you first have to pay to unlock the tasks.
Be wary of these calls, which are indeed fraudulent. As soon as you have to pay first before receiving anything or supposedly earning money, it is most certainly a scam.
What should you do if you are contacted by an unknown number?
- Do not pick up if you do not recognise the number.
- Never call back a suspicious number. Some are premium rate.
- Never give out personal or banking information over the phone.
- Block the number.
- Be wary of urgent calls: a real company will never ask you to react urgently.
If in doubt, contact the organisation concerned directly via its official number.
Have you lost money?
- If you have lost money or if you are the victim of extortion, we advise you to make a statement to the police. You can report it to the local police in your place of residence.
- Contact your bank and/or Card Stop on 078 170 170 if you have passed on any bank details, if money disappears from your bank account or if you have transferred money to a fraudster. This way, any fraudulent transactions can be blocked.
