No connection on your mobile phone and no money in your bank account?: Police warn of new 'fade to black' scam in Spain

'Fundido a negro' (fade to black) is the name of a new scam that the Guardia Civil police force in Span has warned against. The first thing that the victim notices is that their phone has lost coverage, after which comes the most serious part: their bank account is suddenly empty.

The scam, which has been circulating since January, uses the SIM swapping technique, through which criminals manage to duplicate the victim's SIM card to control their phone. This allows them to intercept calls and messages, including the two-factor verification codes that banks send to their customers to confirm transactions. With access to these codes, cybercriminals can impersonate the victim's identity and perform fraudulent transactions, taking control of the money in their bank accounts.

Through fake calls or phishing (messages that impersonate the identity of others), scammers obtain sufficient data to be able to duplicate cards by calling the corresponding operators. Subsequently, when the duplicate is activated, the victim loses access to their mobile network, which has instead passed to the duplicate. "We lose connection to our phones and start receiving charges to our bank account," according to the Guardia Civil's TikTok account.

Recommendations to be followed

From this point on, cybercriminals can access bank accounts and make unauthorised transfers. To avoid further cases, the Guardia Civil provides a series of tips: use strong passwords and two-step verification to access your bank account. Using a fingerprint, electronic signature or biometric records are some alternatives to receiving an SMS.

In addition, people are urged to ignore emails, messages or calls from unknown numbers. Don't open dubious links and avoid giving out personal information by phone or email (bank details or passwords).

If you are a victim, you should act immediately and regularly check your bank's transactions so that, if necessary, you can quickly contact the bank and block access to your account. If possible, it is also a good idea to go to the bank branch in person. It is also advisable to collect evidence, emails, screenshots or messages to help in the investigation and prevention of such frauds.