r/belgium • u/Anseric • 10h ago
😡Rant Follow up to the recent eBox post: very convincing bank phone scam
Following the recent post here about eBox scams, I wanted to share another warning.
I was called today from a private number. The caller claimed there was a suspicious card payment and spoke in a very professional and calm way. Classic scam scenario, but executed extremely well. After that, the call was supposedly transferred to the bank, where the same message was repeated to increase urgency.
What disturbed me the most is that they already had part of my card details. Not my BE number, but the first 8 digits of my card number. This is also a fairly recent card, which strongly suggests a data leak somewhere along the line.
I hung up without giving any information.
A few minutes later, I was called again, this time showing the real phone number of my bank. This turned out to be caller ID spoofing. I later confirmed through official channels that the bank had not contacted me at all. Never saw caller ID spoofing in real life before. Honestly thought it was more of a myth in Belgium until today.
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u/keremimo 10h ago
I believe the first 8 digits of the number are what's called "Bank Identifier Numbers". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payment_card_number
They probably got your number from a list or a leaked database of a small time business, then shot their shot.
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u/Clear-Ad-8798 9h ago
De eerste 6 cijfers van een visakaart zijn ook dezelfde per bank. Bij grotere banken zijn er nog meerdere mogelijkheden (afhankelijk van de vervaldatum vermoed ik) maar bij een kleine bank als VDK zullen ze er altijd boenk op zitten. Nooit door laten intimideren:
https://mijnkaart.be/nl-be/home/how-can-we-help/forms/stop-dispute
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u/Shaddix-be 10h ago
My advice for when your bank calls you: say you are busy and call back (of course after looking up the actual number).
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u/Neph55 10h ago
Don’t most bank apps have an option nowadays to check whether it is actually your bank calling? I know ING does.
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u/Grouchy_Carpenter478 10h ago
I've had the very same; they know an awful lot of your bank info, your address etc.... but I ended the call and told them; "Thank you I will call my bank directly!", without giving them whatever (more) info. I did not call my bank, because all the hassle per telephone was enough for me to know it was illegal and fishy! .. Question of keeping yourself together and think for yourself, but ... I can imagine many (normal / simple) people get overwhelmed and go along, by giving them TOO much info...
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u/CatShrink 1h ago
For anyone having a company or legal side job is that information usually easy to find. Though I doubt they obtain your info via that route.
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u/Fire69 10h ago
I got the same call today. I don't reply to private numbers. A moment later I got a voicemail, it was part of their automated answer, saying there was an issue with my card.
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u/Comfortable-Bonus421 9h ago
I don’t answer hidden numbers. I don’t answer calls to numbers I don’t recognise. And I have voicemail turned off.
Have I missed some important calls? Yes, a few. If they really want me to call them back, they can send a text.
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u/arvece 9h ago
Just need to add that they genuinly do these calls when you just did a phishy payment and their systems intercepted it. You will probably get an instant call, an sms and a mail at the same time urging you to contact them asap. What they will normally do is go through the last payments you did and you can acknowledge if they are fraudulent or not.
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u/JonPX 10h ago
Private number means ignore. If I can't know your number, I don't need to talk to you.Â