Recently, many people have reported receiving suspicious calls with the International prefix +351 (00351)apparently coming from the PortugalThis is an attempt to telephone phishinga fraudulent technique that aims to steal sensitive user data with a false job offer: this is why young job seekers are more at risk. These calls often include a recorded message that invites the user to save the number to continue the conversation on WhatsApp. In some cases, the message talks about a CV received and the scammer’s call is justified by wanting to get more details from the candidate.
If the potential victim is actually looking for work and has sent out numerous CVs (perhaps even abroad), he or she may be inclined to accept the proposal to continue the dialogue, which could prove very dangerous. To defend yourself from similar attacks, it is essential to maintain a high level of attention when faced with calls from numbers of dubious origin.
How the Portugal +351 Prefix Scam Works
There Portuguese prefix scam It starts with a call from a number characterized by the prefix +351 (00351)The call contains a pre-recorded message with variable content but which, according to some reports, generally invites the user to save the number and continue the conversation on the WhatsApp messaging app. In some cases, the message claims to have received a resume from the user and asks for further details for a supposed job opportunity.
Once the user contacts the scammer’s number on WhatsApp, the scammer begins an exchange of messages in which they are captiously asked for personal information and, in some cases, documents to complete a phantom hiring process, and this may also include bank details. This information, if handed over to the cybercriminal, can then be used by the scammer to commit identity theft or to steal money from the victim’s bank account.
How to protect yourself from telephone scams
How can we do this? protect against telephone scams of this kind? First of all, we suggest you first of all do not answer suspicious phone calls from numbers with the prefix +351 or other numbers that you have not saved in your address book. If for some reason you decide to answer, however, at least be careful to put the following suggestions into practice.
- Never provide personal information: Sharing personal information with complete strangers over the phone (or even via text) is extremely dangerous. Usually, companies, recruiters, credit institutions, etc. never ask for this type of data over the phone (unless you contacted their customer service and were asked to identify yourself in some way).
- Beware of “friendly” voices: if you receive a suspicious request by phone, even if it seems to come from an acquaintance or a family member, check how things are, perhaps by asking the person you are talking to questions whose answer can only be known by the “real” person who is aware of certain facts and information. You should know, in fact, that thanks to artificial intelligence it is not at all impossible to clone a human voice and use it for illicit purposes.
- Block suspicious numbers: Enabling your smartphone’s system features to block unknown numbers can help you mitigate the risk of falling victim to phone scams.
