251589654, Spam number or does it belong to a company?

More than a dozen users have recently reported receiving a call through 251589654. Being an international number, the doubt about it lies in the nature of the call. And if we look at the geographical location of the prefix 251 (or +251), the origin of the call takes us to the United States, specifically to the state of Alabama. Who is really behind these calls? Does it belong to Google or Microsoft? We see it.

Call from 251589654, who is it?

All you have to do is start a short Google search to find out the testimonials of some of the affected users. "They don't stop calling and I don't pick it up", "They said they are from Microsoft and they told me I had a virus on my computer", "They say they are from Microsoft and they insist that you turn on the computer"… found behind these calls?

Apparently, the number 251 589654 is posing as a supposed official Microsoft technical service. Although the company has not commented on the matter, they do recognize this type of case. As some users describe, the purpose of the call is to urge users to turn on the computer to install a program similar to Team Viewer to give control to thieves. From this program all kinds of sensitive information are extracted, such as bank details, passwords, user accounts, credit card numbers, and so on.

How to block calls from 251 589 654 and other spam numbers

The easiest way to avoid falling for this type of tricks is based on blocking the sender's calls. On iOS and Android, this process is as simple as going to the call history within the Calls or Phone application. Then, we will press and hold the number in question until an option appears that allows us to veto calls from the selected number.

Another option that from tuexperto.com we recommend applying is based on downloading applications such as True Caller or Mr. Number. The added advantage of these tools is that they have a database with tens of thousands of phones registered by other users. If the number matches any of the application's records, the call will be blocked automatically.

If we have received the call on a landline phone, the way to proceed is similar, although this time we will have to use the buttons on the dial. We can also use external blockers. At Amazon, the price of this type of device starts from 25 euros.

What can I do if I have already fallen for the scam?

If we have fallen for the ruse, the first thing we will have to do is uninstall the program that the supposed agent has indicated to us. The next step will be to change all sensitive system passwords and user accounts, as well as email addresses and social accounts (Twitter, Google, Facebook).

After this, the next thing we will do is change the access codes to mobile banking (Caixa, Banco Santander, ING Direct), as well as any digital banking service, such as TWYP or PayPal. To ensure that thieves do not make any type of unauthorized charge, it is best to inform the bank of what happened to block any operation that takes place in the next 24 hours.

Finally, it is recommended to install an antivirus, such as Malware Bytes or NOD32, to examine any malicious program that may be sending data to the thieves' servers.

List of spam numbers identified by tuexperto.com