This text belongs to the Pocket newsletter, which is sent every Sunday. If you want to receive it, sign up here.
Digital scams and thefts reach unexpected places. From cryptocurrencies to vacations or buying second-hand, you have to be extremely careful not to end up without money in the bank. Criminals target everything and everyone, be it large fortunes or small wallets. Knowing where to be careful makes all the difference.
Digital thefts. Subtractions in online wallets are at all-time highs. Up to 3,800 million vanished in the last year in crypto values. From password blunders, to impersonation attacks to outright Ponzi schemes, hackers have found a fishing ground and are taking advantage of it. These are the most common scams in the world of virtual currencies.
An epidemy. Cryptocurrencies are not the only front. You go on holiday? Beware of scams when booking trips. Do you buy second-hand apps? More of the same. Do you receive unemployment, a pension or do they owe you money? Beware of those who pretend to be Social Security or the Tax Agency, the scam that always comes back. Do you use Instagram? Don’t trust gift cards…
Look for solutions. Moving away from the digital world may be the answer. Those who spend cash on a day-to-day basis are still the majority and have another advantage to sell to the rest, that of not falling prey to hackers. They add it to that of controlling spending more or avoiding commissions. They are also saved from falling into the reverse Bizum scam that has already caused so many holes.
More alternatives. Safer investments as a barrier. Real estate is the answer to everything for many, although the Housing Law threatens to break the rental market, with the sale of some 100,000 homes. What can be touched is more reliable, they think: more and more money is going to pay off mortgages to avoid the burden of installments. Others pay attention to the stock market and the Ibex 35 hides some favorites to invest in today.
What if the tolls return in 2024, if not, then yes again… The week has left the boss of the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) calling to prepare to pay for the roads already next year, with the minister of the branch denying it. The truth is that Brussels demands it…
The tolls do not worry anyone who lives in this house. It is the most expensive for sale in Spain. It has a 9,000 square meter plot, 3,315 square meters of housing, 12 bedrooms, 19 bathrooms, a pool that equals the sea, a cinema, luxury details… It’s in Marbella and its price is crazy.
