Spain's new 400 prefix for sales calls already used in a scam
Spain's 400 prefix was meant to flag commercial calls. Within days, a man in Puente Genil reported a scammer posing as Iberdrola who got his bank details.
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giftdetect· the right gift in minutesSpain's new 400 prefix was supposed to make sales calls easy to spot. It took only three days for someone to use it in a scam.
The prefix came into force on 17 October. Companies must now use numbers starting with 400 for commercial calls, so people can tell at a glance who is trying to sell them something. Then a resident of Puente Genil, in Córdoba, got a call from a number beginning with 400. The caller claimed to work for Iberdrola and ended up with the man's bank details. He reported it to the local police.
Officers describe it as vishing, a phone fraud technique in which criminals pose as well-known companies to win trust and extract confidential data or, at worst, money.
What is the 400 prefix?
It is a set of nine-digit numbers starting with 400, reserved by the Spanish government for commercial calls. They can only make calls, not receive them, so you cannot ring one back.
Does a 400 number mean the call is safe?
No. Puente Genil's local police say so explicitly. Scammers can lean on the trust an official-looking number creates, and there are techniques that fake the caller ID shown on your phone screen.
If an unexpected caller asks for banking details, passwords or verification codes, give them nothing. Contact the company yourself through its official channels instead. If you have already handed over bank details, police advise telling your bank immediately so it can block fraudulent transactions.
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