A new scam uncovered by investigators would have made many victims in France. This time, it's fake Israel-based computer troubleshooters operating online. The victims, on the other hand, find themselves in front of the black screen of their computers. The latter displays a message offering to contact a breakdown number, surcharged of course. On the other end of the line, cybercriminals offer "free" help, according to L'Indépendants.
The scammers then take control of the computer and manage to turn it back on. They then offer the purchase of antivirus, for 300 euros. While the scam may seem a bit big, many people have fallen for it. It turns out that the scammers managed to extort several million euros all over Europe. The money is then paid into the bank account of a company based in Perpignan and then sent to other accounts, all the way to Israel.
Money that passes through Perpignan
An investigation has been opened and entrusted to the Paris Cybercrime Prosecutor's Office. The latter estimates that between 200 and 300 people would work in this fake call center. "Thousands of emails like this are coming out every hour from rooms full of scammers all over Europe. And it works one time out of ten," the brigadier at the Perpignan police station explained to our colleagues.
To avoid this trap, it is recommended to disconnect your connection when the message appears and not to respond, let alone transmit personal information. Another technique to protect yourself is to choose a difficult password, to avoid hacking. Antivirus software can also be installed. If it's too late, you can always contact your bank to stop it. A complaint can also be filed and a report can be made on the cybermalveillance.gouv.fr website.
- Tech
- Scam
- Computer
- Society