[HN Gopher] More than 100 arrested in Spain in $900k WhatsApp sc...
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More than 100 arrested in Spain in $900k WhatsApp scheme
Author : PaulHoule
Score : 17 points
Date : 2024-05-06 21:42 UTC (1 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (therecord.media)
(TXT) w3m dump (therecord.media)
| psychlops wrote:
| "The fraudsters also registered nearly 100 phone numbers using
| false identities."
|
| Is it really a WhatsApp scheme? I thought the purpose of phone
| numbers now is to tie them to an actual person.
| hmaxwell wrote:
| you would think, but apparently anyone can now download an app
| called "talkatone" that gives you a free phone number to make
| calls and send texts with
| prox wrote:
| It would be nice if we had tracert for phones. So you can see
| the route through which someone calls and what
| platforms/orgs.
| UniverseHacker wrote:
| It's hard to understand how someone could fall for this scam...
| if a loved one was having an emergency of some kind I would
| expect them to call rather than text, and I would respond with a
| call either way to discuss the details.
|
| I'm also generally leery of people "urgently needing money." It
| seems like something a scammer would do, and I couldn't see any
| of my family members doing it. Maybe I'm a jerk, but I'd be more
| likely to offer a lecture on financial responsibility than a
| quick money transfer.
| danduma wrote:
| My mother fell for exactly this scam, thankfully was able to
| cancel the transaction just in time and gave evidence to the
| police. Funny to see on HN something that touches one so close.
|
| The most fascinating thing here is the lack of sophistication of
| the approach. No fake images or audio or anything.
|
| I'm worried about the new wave of impersonation scams that's
| coming thanks to voice cloning.
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(page generated 2024-05-06 23:00 UTC)