Monaco’s Police have issued an alert concerning a new scam targeted at people in Monaco, on June 18. Scammers are calling or messaging people pretending to be one of the Principality’s high-ranking personalities.
The Directorate of Public Security has called for the utmost vigilance after individuals in Monaco have been targeted via SMS, Whatsapp, videoconference and e-mails in an attempt to extract money. According to the Princely government, ill-intentioned individuals have been impersonating the identity of high-ranking personalities of the Principality and contacting personal relations of them, including company leaders or persons with responsibilities, for about a week before the alert was issued.
The persons receiving these calls or messages are guided to: not follow the appeal, block the telephone number, contact the Police Department: (+377) 93 15 30 15
What to do if a scammer contacts you
Monaco has been the target of various types of scams in the past. Usually scammers attempt to deceive victims through more or less convincing messages and prompt them to fill in fraudulent forms in order to steal their personal information. They then use the stolen information to fraudulently connect to the victims’ email accounts, social media accounts or even bank accounts.
“We recommend that everyone remains vigilant when receiving links in one’s phones or email inboxes from unfamiliar senders,” states the government’s Mon Service Public. They recommend to always check the web addresses (URLs) that are displayed in your browser to make sure they are legitimate domain names (and do not use similar spelling) and to never divulge passwords to third parties.
If you are the victim of a scam, the Princely Government recommends keeping a copy of the exchange by taking screenshots and to keep a list of the information you have provided to the scammer. Then, contact any persons or establishments involved (employer, bank, operators, contacts, etc.). and immediately change your passwords and codes.
