What is this SIM card scam that is wreaking havoc on Facebook ?

© Pexels/Silvie Lindemann

We were already talking to you a few weeks ago about SIM card scams. As a reminder, the latter generally begins with an SMS where a scammer pretends to be your operator. It tells you that a new SIM card is available. If you are not the originator of this request, you are invited to click on a link.

A friend who doesn't wish you well

You then arrive on a site which imitates (more or less well) that of the operator in order to recover your usernames and passwords. Cybercriminals are then able to steal your identity from the real operator to order a new card and actually take control of your phone plan, which you still pay for.

According to the site Geeko du Soir, this scam is now being deployed on Facebook. It is wreaking havoc, and some Internet users have lost several thousand euros through this. Our Belgian colleagues point out that this strategy is even more devious.

And for good reason, malicious actors first take control of the Facebook account of one of your loved ones by hacking it. Then, they contact you specifying that they are encountering a serious problem: their SIM card has been blocked, and you will be able to help them resolve this problem.

The rest is known and reproduces the diagram that we saw above. The person pretending to be a friend will indeed send you a fraudulent link and if you are fooled, they will take control of your package.

Comment protect you ?

We will have understood, this threat is more concrete than ever. Faced with risk, however, there are common sense reflexes to adopt. In particular, you can call the relative in question directly to check if their request is legitimate.

Also examine the spelling and tone of the message. Does it match the personality of your interlocutor? Does it make sense that he would appeal to you and not another person. In any case, never rush before acting and take time to think. Cybercriminals also try to create a sense of urgency among their targets to push them into making mistakes.

If you have fallen into the trap, it is important to file a complaint and then contact your operator. You can also report this scam on the Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr website. This will indeed allow the authorities to better stem this phenomenon to prevent other Internet users from falling victim to these scams.

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