How to Prevent Online Scam

During the pandemic, digital communication channels gained special prominence. Within this context, fraud and scam schemes are mushrooming in the form of fake profiles in social media that send phone calls, direct messages, messages through WhatsApp and other messaging apps, and deceptive emails intended to obtain personal and banking data.

Keep in mind that the BCRA will not contact you to ask for your personal or banking data.

Tips to Protect Your Personal Data

In this scenario, the challenge is to protect your personal data by implementing good practices for social media, websites and digital platforms.

Activate the two-factor authentication (“2FA”) in your social media accounts and WhatsApp or the digital platforms on which you are active. This tool is an additional security level, which ensures that only the account user may access his/her social media and digital platforms. For activating the 2FA, tap your account´s settings, and “two-step authentication”.

Do not disclose your personal data (such as username, password, PIN, social security code, token, National Identity Document (DNI) (original or copy), and photo) over the phone, by email, on social media or WhatsApp, or through text messagess.

Do not enter personal data on websites through links received by email. They may be fraudulent.

Use safer passwords by combining capital letters, small letters and numbers. Passwords should be easy for you to remember and hard for others to guess. Do not use the same password for different apps, accounts, platforms, or sites.

Read every email carefully. Check that email senders are genuine.

Be careful with suspicious links and make sure you are on a legitimate web site before signing in.

Do not access apps, social media or personal accounts from public or others' computers.

Do not use a public Wi-Fi network to access sites that require passwords.

Keep your browsers, operating systems, and apps up to date (delete the ones you do not use).

Take your time before doing anything. Scammers play on users’ fears, oversights or rush.
#VosSosLaClave

How to Tell the Difference between a Real Profile and a Fake One in Social Media

-Legitimate profiles have a blue check authenticity mark.

-Generally, fake profiles only have very recent posts and a small number of followers.

Upon identifying a fake profile of the BCRA or other institution, you may report the account as spam directly through the app for potential fraud alerts.

The official profiles of the BCRA in digital platforms are:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BancoCentralAR/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bancocentral_ar/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bcra
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bancocentral_ar and https://twitter.com/BCRAusuarios
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq1CEC9JxvblsszG71-CPKw
Sitio web: https://www.bcra.gob.ar/

Other Frequent Types of Fraud or Scam

What Is Phishing?

It is a scam by which an email purporting to be legitimate is sent to make a user open a link, fill in forms with personal data or download malware files. In this case, you should immediately delete it.

What Is Smishing?

It is a type of fraud through text messages or any messaging app that asks you to provide sensitive information. Like in the case of phishing, you should immediately delete the message.

What is Spoofing?

It is an act of impersonation committed through identity theft techniques that can apply to emails, websites, and IP address. Regardless of the type of spoofing involved, bad actors attempt to obtain a target's personal information, spread malware or else cause some type of damage by pretending to be a trusted person, organization, or enterprise.