Scammers' new method: 'I paid your bill by mistake'

Scammers have now begun targeting people through phone bills.

According to a report by Sabah, scammers enter a random mobile phone number and pay the bill via mobile banking.

The mobile operator sends a 'Your bill has been paid' notification to the owner of the phone line. At this point, the scammers intervene, calling the line owner with seemingly innocent requests such as, 'My grandfather/relative paid your bill by mistake; there was an error. Could you please refund the money?'

THEY CANCEL THE PAYMENT

Citizens who look into the situation see that the payment was indeed made and, acting in good faith, send the money back. However, this is where the scammers' real game begins. Within a few days, the scammer contacts their bank to reclaim the payment they made, citing an 'erroneous payment'.

In this scenario, both the refunded money and the amount recovered from the bank cancellation end up in the scammer's pocket, while the victim falls prey to this two-way fraud.

Experts advise citizens who encounter such a situation to first contact their banks and strictly avoid making any refunds without verifying the identity of the person who made the payment.

ENFORCEMENT SHOCK FOR RETIREE

One of the victims of this fraud method was a retiree living in Ankara. A scammer who introduced himself as a soldier "I paid your mobile phone bill by mistake" deceived the retiree by saying this. After the retiree confirmed with the mobile operator that the bill had been paid, they transferred the money to the scammer.

However, four months later, they realized they had been defrauded upon receiving an enforcement notice. The notice stated that the retiree had an unpaid debt. The victimized retiree learned that the scammer had reclaimed the bill payment they had made and had also gained twice by keeping the money the retiree had sent.

WARNING FROM MOBILE OPERATORS

Experts state that one should be cautious against such fraud and report suspicious situations to the authorities. Following the recent increase in this method, mobile operators have also begun to warn citizens.

Officials state that in the event of an accidental payment, mobile operators already provide a right to a refund, and they advise users not to give in to the pressure of scammers.

Operators advise that in the event of any incorrect payment, users should contact their mobile service providers directly and never transfer money to individuals.

Operator officials add, "The person who paid your bill can show their receipt and withdraw the money they paid at any time.

Moreover, they can do this repeatedly. Our customers should know that if an incorrect payment is made, it will be corrected. In such cases, it is sufficient for the customer to contact us directly."