Being a victim of sloping is a reality that increasingly affects people, especially through the internet and mobile phone. Although it is not always possible to recover your money, there are legal ways to try to do so. In many cases, consumers are not to blame, so they can be entitled to reimbursement.
How the most common throws work
One of the most frequent forms of burla is through the MB Way application. Burlons convince the victim to share personal data or to perform certain actions within the application, which allows criminals to access the money. SIBS, the company responsible for MB Way, states that it is up to the user to protect his data and comply with the terms of use, which limits the company’s responsibility in these cases.
Another very common scam, according to, is made by messages on WhatsApp, as the scheme known as “Hello Mother, Hi Pai”, where the burns are passing through children in trouble and ask urgent money. This type of scheme has already led to hundreds of complaints in Portugal.
There are also emails by email or SMS, known as phishing or smishing, which mimics messages from banks. By clicking on fake calls or providing data, the victims involuntarily give access to your bank account.
What to do right after the scam
If it is suspected that it was deceived, according to the same source, the most important thing is to act quickly. You should immediately contact your bank and try to cancel the transfer. If the transfer has not yet been completed, the bank may lock the operation. However, if the money has already been credited to the Burlão account, the return depends on its authorization.
In immediate transfers, such as those made by MB Way, the difficulty of cancellation is greater. Even if you contact the bank quickly, you may not be able to recover the amount. Some banking institutions charge fees for the cancellation request. These rates vary and can reach significant values, and do not guarantee that the money will be returned.
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Responsibility of Banks and Consumer Rights
Portuguese law states that banks are required to ensure the safety of the services they make available. They can only refuse the return of money if they prove that the victim was to blame, such as providing his data carefully.
In accordance with the legal regime of payment services and electronic currency, if the client is not negligent, the bank must return the lost amount. And this return should be done immediately, even if it is not yet known as the data have been obtained by the burns.
If the victim did not share the data or facilitate access to them, it should be considered innocent, and it is up to the bank to prove otherwise.
Legal deadline to complain is 13 months
The consumer may submit the complaint up to 13 months after the debt date. However, as referred to by Marketeer, it should do so as soon as possible to increase the hypotheses of success. It is important to block cards or applications as soon as it detects something suspicious.
Whenever detecting unauthorized movements, you must store all records and evidence, such as messages, proof and transfer data to deliver to the bank and the police.
Deco Protest recalls that consumers have rights and cannot be unjustly responsible. In case of a slop, the first step is to act quickly, contact the bank and file a complaint.
Submitting a complaint is mandatory, even in case of attempt
Must also file a complaint to the authorities. Even if the scam does not materialize, the attempt is already a crime, being punishable by prison up to three years or a fine. Often the success in recovering money depends on the speed with which the victim acts. The longer it goes by, the lower the chances of reversing the situation.
The essential thing is to be informed, maintain surveillance and not give in to the pressure of strangers. Responsibility must be analyzed on a case by case basis, but the law protects the consumer whenever it has not acted with negligence.
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