Days after Spain required sales calls to start with 400, a Córdoba resident reported a scammer using it to pose as Iberdrola and collect bank data.
Spain's new label for sales calls is already being used by scammers. A resident of Córdoba told the Local Police about a call from a +400 number. The caller claimed to work for Iberdrola and, according to the police, ended up with the person's personal and banking data.
Under the new rule, companies making commercial calls must use a nine-digit number starting with 400. The goal is to let people recognize a sales call before they pick up and decide whether to answer. Óscar López, the Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Function, said anyone should be able to spot these calls more easily.
The 400 prefix only tells you a call is meant to be commercial. It does not tell you who is calling. The police warn that the label can create a false sense of trust, because people now expect sales calls to look this way. A number that fits the rule can still come from someone trying to deceive you.
Phone users in Spain are the most exposed, especially customers of utilities and other companies that phone about accounts or bills. The Iberdrola call fits that pattern. The police advice centers on calls you did not expect, where the caller asks for private details.
The Local Police point to several warning signs:
Knowing your name does not make a caller trustworthy. The police say passwords and card verification codes should never be given over the phone, whatever the caller claims.
The alert box above lists the steps, including how to verify a call and where to report it. The core idea is simple: do not rely on the number on your screen. Hang up and contact the company through its official channels.
The rule for commercial calls stays in place. The Córdoba report is a single case, and the material does not say how many similar calls there have been. It also does not say how the caller got a 400 number, or whether Iberdrola has responded. Anyone who thinks a company is breaking the rule can file a complaint with the Telecommunications User Service Office.
A number starting with 400 proves nothing about who is calling, so never give codes or card details by phone and call the company back yourself.
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