Debunked: No, this 'very urgent' message telling you that your bank details can be robbed by making a phone call isn't true

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The latest in a string of Whatsapp messages doing the rounds while a great many of us are at home during the Covid-19 outbreak claims that returning a phone call from a number with a certain international area code could cost you a lot of money.

Have you gotten a message on WhatsApp or Facebook or Twitter about coronavirus that you’re not sure about and want us to check it out? Message or mail us and we’ll look into debunking it. WhatsApp: 085 221 4696 or Email: answers@thejournal.ie THE LATEST IN a string of Whatsapp messages doing the rounds while a great many of us are at home during the Covid-19 outbreak claims that returning a phone call from a number with a certain international area code could cost you a lot of money.

As pointed out here by US fact-checkers Snopes, these kind of warnings have been going around for a long, long time. And there’s no way that just calling someone could allow them to steal the bank details stored on your phone. Furthermore, if you press the digits mentioned above, you won’t be framed as a criminal.

The advice of “don’t answer or call back” in the WhatsApp message above may actually be a good one in that sense. If you’re not expecting a call from someone in that country, it may be a good idea not to call back if you have a missed call from a number in that area code. Banks have issued similar warnings, with Banking and Payments Federation Ireland CEO Brian Hayes commenting last week: “With a range of financial and other Covid-19 supports now available for impacted consumers and business we anticipate that fraudsters will target victims via email, text, phone and social media by posing as genuine organisations including government, banks and health care providers in an attempt to get victims to disclose personal or financial information.

 

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