tech
April 26, 2026
Protect Your Money: Alert Issued for New Scam Using Calls and Messages to Empty User Accounts
New scam uses calls and messages to empty user accounts. Photo: iStock
TL;DR
- A new digital fraud called 'dele en recibidas' is targeting financial app users in Colombia.
- The scam uses fake payment notifications combined with insistent phone calls to trick victims into authorizing transfers from their own accounts.
- This 'smishing' technique has resulted in over 4,000 reported incidents in the country.
- Scammers create confusion and urgency, guiding victims through their financial apps to authorize transactions.
- Some messages include links to fake banking pages to steal personal and financial data.
- Warning signs include suspicious link domains, typographical errors, design flaws, faulty verification systems, and low-quality or altered logos.
- Authorities recommend distrusting unsolicited calls asking users to perform financial transactions.
- Users should avoid clicking unknown links and following instructions from unverified individuals.
- Victims or suspicious individuals should report incidents immediately through Colombia's CAI virtual channel for cybercrime.
- Prevention and direct verification with financial institutions are key to avoiding these scams.