The scam, which particularly targets young people, consists of an apparently harmless request for a SIM card. The victim usually receives a message on social media asking if they could purchase a SIM card, for which they would be reimbursed.
If the victim falls for the scam and buys the SIM card, the card is registered to the buyer’s address. It will then be used by the fraudster to carry out further scams or phishing attacks in the victim’s name.
As an example, the Grand Ducal police said one pre-paid card purchased by a victim of the scam had been used to send over 8,000 fraudulent text messages. In other cases, the cards have been used to carry out the ‘Money Mules’ scam.
The police have published a series of tips to help anyone targeted by these scams.
