Alex Trelinski
OVER half of people in Spain have admitted to spotting a scam or an attempted fraud involving mobile phone messages and emails in 2023.
The findings come from the Centre for Sociological Research(CIS) who discovered 52% of respondents confirmed they noticed some suspicious activity on their phone.
The scam attempts came via a link to a website in a text, an email, or a bogus message on WhatsApp.
The ‘phishing’ and ‘smishing’ cons are all about getting hold of personal details, and often are attempts to access bank account passwords of potential victims.
The messages and links often look realistic and besides password requests, they also ask for ID details.
The CIS study said that 59% of people who thought they were being scammed said it was via a test message link.
That was followed by emails (42.8%) and a WhatsApp message (37.9%).
A more traditional method of a cold-call from a bogus call centre worker came in at 31.4% and fake links to websites on 29%.
When those surveyed asked whether the issue is a matter of concern, 43.2% said that it was quite a lot and 38.4% ‘a lot’.
It was a ‘little’ concerning to 12.6% and in surprisingly good news to fraudsters, 4% of people said it was of ‘no concern’ to them at all.
Six out of ten people questioned said the Government and public authorities have to stop fraud through regulations, while almost 25% said it was down to the police.
13.2% suggested internet service providers should do something about the problem, while 9.3% respondents opted for the banks.
READ MORE:
- ‘Phishing’ and ‘Smishing’ gang arrested for mass internet banking scam based in Costa Blanca area of Spain
- ‘Phishing’ gang steal at least €443,600 from hacked online bank accounts in Spain
- Spain’s CaixaBank warns customers about fake phone messages known as ‘smishing’
- Online fraudsters, including British man, stole identities to bag €2 million in Spain’s Valencia area
