In Mexico, a new type of fraud has gained strength in recent days, leading authorities to alert the population about scammers posing as banking institutions to perpetrate trickery and scams, offering credits or other benefits to individuals. The National Commission for the Protection and Defense of Users of Financial Services (Condusef) has indicated that this series of fraudulent modalities has harmed several individuals through various means such as telephone calls, brochures, or websites that disseminate false information.
In this regard, Condusef has warned about the use of false names and identities by scammers in order to deceive users and make them believe they are dealing with a trustworthy institution. Normally, these criminals request a 10% advance on the supposed credit offered, which amounts to between one thousand and 200 thousand pesos. Subsequently, once they receive the payment, the scammers disappear and become inaccessible.
One of the most common modalities of fraud is the impersonation of banks, where scammers use fake logos and names of financial entities to gain the trust of victims. In this situation, Condusef suggests verifying the legitimacy of financial institutions through the Financial Services Providers Registry System (Sipres) and not making any money advances as no legitimate institution requests payments to grant credits.
To prevent being a victim of these scams, Condusef advises protecting personal data, carefully reading contracts before signing them, using secure websites with appropriate security protocols, and in case of doubt, going directly to the branch to verify the legitimacy of the information provided.
It is important to highlight that scammers often obtain personal information from individuals, such as phone numbers or addresses, once they offer their false services, which can put individuals at risk. Additionally, they request money advances under various pretenses, such as opening bank accounts or managing credits, which is a clear sign of fraud.
