A new telephone scam aimed at obtaining personal banking information and stealing money from victims' accounts has been reported in Madeira. The fraudsters are posing as Santander employees and can even make the bank's official telephone number appear on the recipient's screen.
A reader received a call from a woman claiming to be a bank employee, asking to confirm a supposed bank transfer. Suspicious, the reader asked if the conversation could be recorded, to which the caller readily agreed. The reader continued the conversation to test the extent of the fraud and, after answering several questions, revealed he was not a Santander customer, prompting the immediate end of the call.
Checking the number displayed on his phone, it appeared to be Santander's official contact number. Upon contacting the bank directly, he was informed that fraudsters can manipulate caller information, a practice known as "caller ID spoofing." Santander reiterates that customers should never disclose banking information, security codes, passwords, or card details during unsolicited calls, even if they appear to be from an official number. Police also warned that the appearance of a genuine phone number does not, by itself, prove the legitimacy of the call.
