The +34 area code scam calling from Spain is part of the long list of telephone area code scams. In practice, cybercriminals mask their phone numbers through the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system. In this way the victims see a number that seems to come from abroad. When they answer they find a recorded voice: the risk is that of losing their data, especially banking data.
The latest scam reported by users is that of + 34 or 0034a prefix calling from Spain. From the testimonies that can be found online the dynamic is always the same: once you answer the phone a recorded voice starts asking you to move the phone conversation on WhatsApp. These have now become as famous as the area code scams. Calls come from abroad, you answer and a recorded message in Italian begins.
The voice on the phone talk about worksimulating a call center. Offers a place in a well-known company, sometimes it comes Amazon also mentionedor talk about a profession that can be done from home simply by putting a couple of likes. At this point the scam routes they can follow different paths. We explain what happened in the report we received. We had already seen this type of scam with calls from France.
How the +34 area code scam from Spain works: the job offer and the likes
In the case that we followed through the reports the call was followed up a short conversation on WhatsApp. The request was simple: interact with a piece of content and like it. The content in question was a YouTube video, in format Shorts. Nothing to report. The video was from a cooking creator, an English channel, and it already had a lot of interactions.
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Once we liked it we were asked to take a screenshot and send it on the conversation. Once this step was also completed, the bank details were requested to immediately make the transfer. That’s where the user who reported the scam to us he stopped. He didn’t want to go any further to avoid worse consequences. We don’t know how the scam evolves but we advise against giving your bank details to anyone promises money in exchange for likes.
The spoofing technique: how to hide the origin of a phone call
But how is it possible that a number with Spanish prefix is it linked to a user who speaks Italian and which refers to a conversation in Italian? This is a Spoofing technique, that set of practices that serve to falsify the point from which the conversations begin. In this case calls are made not via telephone line but with technology Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). In short the call is made via the internet, where it is possible to change the number that then comes viewed by the user.
How to protect yourself from a scam attempt
To defend yourself from this fruit attempt, various strategies can be followed, more or less drastic. One of the paths to follow is that of block the number from which the call comesof course this blocks calls only from this number but not from others who might try to call you. The clearest solution is to block all calls from numbers that are not in the address book but be careful, this could also lead to problems. In any case, the options to look for on your smartphone are “Block unknown calls” or “Block private calls”.
