The “boleto coup” was applied again by criminals across the country. After the data mega-leaks, scammers are sending fake boletos to Brazilians. The aim is to use the leaked information to convince the victim to pay.
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The Axur Cybersecurity Data Breach Report shows the impact of mega breaches. In the first few months of 2021 alone, data leakage has increased by 785% compared to 2020. The leaked information includes sensitive data ranging from document numbers to bank details.
In this way, scammers get hold of citizens' information and get in touch. The reason would be some overdue account or award that was won without knowing it. Then, they reveal personal information to give credibility to what was said before.
The most unsuspecting people believe and end up falling into the trap. The fraudster sends a deceitful ticket with an amount that the person agreed to pay. When the amount is paid, the money falls directly into the criminal's account.
There are victims who end up paying more than one bill, believing in false benefits. Generally, the swindler's speech involves discharge of some old debt of the victim.
This scam model is not exactly new. It has been applied on a large scale in the past. However, with access to social networks on WhatsApp, it became easier to contact potential targets. If you add that to the information obtained through the leaks, the criminals have a powerful weapon in their hands.
See how to avoid the scam
- Enable two-factor authentication for WhatsApp and any other service. This prevents hacking of your account;
- Keep your passwords up to date and avoid using the same combination for more than one login.
- Be wary of slips sent informally and confirm with the financial institution.
- The same must be done with collection slips and emails that bring payment data;
- If the doubt persists, look for the institution issuing the bank slip and ask for a 2nd copy.
- When identifying fake profiles, report them to WhatsApp and open a police report;
- He does not believe in incredible offers and discounts, especially if they need urgent payment.
- Finally, keep your antivirus and protection programs active and up to date.
