Most of the scams I hear about from clients in Portugal don't arrive by email anymore. They come through MB WAY, a text message or WhatsApp, because that's where people are quick to tap and slow to check. The good news is that they follow a handful of patterns, and once you know them they're much easier to see coming.
The common ones
- "I'll pay you through MB WAY" (OLX, Vinted and similar). You're selling something, and a "buyer" is keen to pay straight away. They send you an MB WAY request, or ask you to go to a Multibanco ATM and follow their steps, so you can "receive" the money. What you're actually doing is paying them, or linking their phone to your card.
- Money requests from strangers. A request pops up in MB WAY from a number you don't know, sometimes with a message like "refund" or "payment received, please confirm". Accepting a request sends money out of your account, not in.
- Fake CTT, bank or Finanças texts. "Your parcel is held, pay the fee here." "Your account access has been blocked." "You have a tax refund waiting." The link goes to a copy of a real site, built to collect your card details or homebanking login.
- "Olá mãe, mudei de número." A WhatsApp message from an unknown number, claiming to be your son or daughter on a new phone. After a bit of friendly chat comes the ask: an urgent payment they "can't make from the new phone".
The tell-tale signs
- You're asked to do something to receive money. With MB WAY, receiving money never needs you to accept anything, enter your PIN or go to an ATM. If someone says it does, that's the scam.
- Hurry. "Today only", "your account will be blocked", "I need it in the next hour". Pressure is there to stop you checking.
- A link in a text message. Banks, CTT and Finanças don't need you to tap a link in an SMS to fix a problem. When in doubt, open the official app or type the address yourself.
- Moving the conversation elsewhere. A buyer who wants to leave the platform's chat and talk on WhatsApp is a common first step.
- A family member who can't talk. They can only text, the microphone is "broken", and they don't want you to call. Call the old number anyway.
Many of the same habits from spotting a phishing email apply here too: slow down, check the sender, and don't trust a link just because it looks official.
If you've already fallen for it
It happens to careful people too, so no shame in it. What matters is acting quickly:
- Call your bank straight away, using the number on the back of your card or in the bank's official app, not a number from the message. Ask them to block the card and MB WAY, and tell them exactly what happened. The sooner they know, the better your chances.
- Change your passwords, starting with homebanking and your email, if you typed them anywhere. If you use the same password elsewhere, change it there too.
- Keep the evidence. Screenshots of the messages, the phone number, the ad and any references from the transaction.
- Report it at a PSP or GNR station, or to the Polícia Judiciária. You'll usually need a police report for the bank anyway. Report the ad or account on OLX or Vinted as well.
- Only call 112 if it's an emergency, for example if you're being threatened or someone is in danger. A scam that's already happened is a matter for your bank and the police.
A few habits that help
Keep sales inside the platform's own payment and shipping system where there is one. Set a daily limit in MB WAY that you're comfortable with. And agree a simple rule with the family: any urgent money request by message gets a phone call first, no exceptions.
If you think a scam page may have installed something on your computer, or you'd like help changing passwords and setting up two-factor authentication, I'm happy to go through it with you.