A new and alarming scam has surfaced, explicitly designed to target children through a deceptive tactic involving promises of in-game bonuses. These cunning cybercriminals have devised an intricate method to gain unauthorized access to users` personal data by preying on the innocence of minors.
Reports indicate that these imposters typically initiate video calls with children. During the call, they subtly request the child to activate the screen-sharing feature on their mobile phone. In exchange for complying with this seemingly harmless request, the child is promised a valuable and desirable bonus within their favorite online game.
The moment screen sharing is enabled, a unique verification code is swiftly sent to the victim`s phone. The critical aspect of this scam is that once the fraudsters obtain this code, it grants them direct and unrestricted access to the child`s messenger accounts and, consequently, their entire contact list. This access can then be exploited for further fraudulent activities or identity theft.
It is crucial to acknowledge that various other sophisticated deceptive schemes have been documented and executed in the past. For instance, criminals have previously attempted to manipulate victims into calling them directly, often by dispatching fraudulent emails that falsely claim compromised accounts on significant online portals or fabricating urgent needs to re-process banking documents.
Another prevalent tactic observed involved fraudsters distributing highly convincing but counterfeit screenshots from legitimate banking applications. These fake images were then used as leverage to demand immediate financial transfers from unsuspecting victims, all under the false pretense of facilitating the withdrawal of large sums of money or resolving an urgent financial issue.
