Brits given urgent Google warning over ‘do you remember me’ scam | Personal Finance | Finance
Google has given all Britons with an Android phone an urgent warning not to fall for one particularly devastating text scam that exploits the trust of victims. The tech giant recently published a new “Behind the Screens” report detailing the danger of text-based scams on Androids, which can trick people out of their savings.
If you receive an unexpected text like “Do you remember me?” from an unknown number, you wouldn’t be blamed for assuming it’s someone from your past harmlessly reaching out. But it’s important to learn to recognise the distinct signs of a scam.
One of the most common types is known as the “bait and wait”. This strategy is divided into three phases: ‘The Initial Contact’, ‘The Manipulation Tactic’ and finally ‘The Endgame’.
“Every scam begins with unexpected contact,” Google explained. It could be a simple “Hello” with no obvious red flags such as a malware link, since the initial goal is to get a reply.
Once the victim is engaged, the scammer progresses to build trust with them, pretending to be a recruiter or an old friend. It could even be tailored to the information found about the victim online.
It’s a slow, calculated approach conducted by a real person who builds a false relationship over several days, weeks or months. These crooks can be incredibly committed to getting the scam over the line, especially if you’re a prime target.
In the final phase, the cybercriminal will try to steal your information or money. Often, they lure the victim onto a third-party app and make an urgent request for cash.
Then, they go up in a puff of smoke.
It has a destructive impact on the victim, shaking their foundations of trust and inflicting extreme emotional distress.
Google said a staggering 94% of Android users are at risk from messaging attacks, which have evolved into “a sophisticated, global enterprise designed to inflict devastating financial losses and emotional distress on unsuspecting victims.”
More than 75% of all these text scams fall into three categories. Fake job offers and hiring processes, fake unpaid bills and demands for payment, and fake investment schemes, often related to cryptocurrency.
