It all started with a call from a local number claiming to be my account manager at a (fake) cryptocurrency exchange, telling me that I had $11,000 in my account. Since the call was unexpected, I asked for an email confirmation to verify the authenticity of the claim. To my surprise, they had my correct email address, which was an escalation from previous scams where they just called me and didn’t know anything about me.
The email arrived quickly but was immediately flagged as a scam by Gmail and I marked it as safe to investigate further. The email contained a link that allegedly showed a bloated cryptocurrency wallet with $11,000 in cryptocurrency. They followed up with another email, this time instructing me to download an iPhone app for remote support. They claimed the app would facilitate the withdrawal process by connecting me to their “robot.”
When I launched the app, I was prompted to enter a “session number.” The caller gave me an 8-digit number to join the session. The app immediately asked for access to all my photos, which was a big red flag. When I declined, a prompt appeared urging me to start screen sharing. The caller’s insistence on screen sharing, despite my (pretended) reluctance, was a clear sign that they were not being sincere. The explanation was that I would see their screen, not that I would share mine.
Their tactics became more aggressive when I steadfastly refused to share my screen. Abandoning that approach, they shifted their focus to obtaining my banking information, specifically asking for my “bank account sort code.” Mentioning that I used Wise for banking transactions only prompted them to continue probing my username and password—a classic red flag in any phishing scenario.
The conversation turned ridiculous when they offered to open my other bank's mobile banking app, directing me to the m-token section to read "those two numbers on the screen". Their persistence revealed their true intention: to access my bank account.
I stood my ground saying that this would allow them access to my bank account, which led them into a strange justification spiral, saying that they were in the Seychelles, and that my bank would obviously block any attempts to access my account from the Seychelles, and therefore I was safe. When asked why they needed access information that they couldn't use, they said it was to "create a tunnel between banks".
I asked them where they were from, they said "Bulgaria, what does that have to do with it?" I asked if there was actually someone who gave them this information, they said yes.
To reinforce my point, I was told that “IBANs are not used to transfer money between banks.” Our conversation ended with a mix of laughter and frustration, a clear sign of their impatience. It was a chilling reminder that, if I provided the requested numbers, they would likely attempt to drain my bank account, requiring any additional PINs necessary to bypass security measures.
This experience underscores the importance of skepticism and caution in all digital communications. Fraudsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated, often providing false personal information to gain trust. It is important to remember that legitimate companies will never ask for sensitive information such as passwords or PINs over the phone or via email. Always verify through official channels and never hesitate to hang up or delete an email if something seems off.
In the digital age, our best defense against scammers is vigilance and refusing to be manipulated. Stay safe, stay skeptical, and keep our digital lives safe.
I get calls like this every few weeks but normally I hang up as soon as they say "invest", but today I have some free time.
Of course, I have full transcripts of all three phone calls. I would be happy to provide them to any security professional or law enforcement agency.