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Illustration for “When they tell you they're calling from the bank, hang up”

Spanish story with translation · B1 · 14 lines

Cuando le digan que llaman del banco, cuelgue When they tell you they're calling from the bank, hang up

Comic · 14 panels

Panel 1 of 14 for “When they tell you they're calling from the bank, hang up”: Hi, Carmen: I'm leaving you this note so that no one tricks you. (formal)

  1. Hola, Carmen: le dejo esta nota para que nadie la engañe.

    Hi, Carmen: I'm leaving you this note so that no one tricks you. (formal)

Panel 2 of 14 for “When they tell you they're calling from the bank, hang up”: You're very sharp, but these days technology is complicated for everyone. (to a woman, formal)

  1. Usted es muy espabilada, pero hoy la tecnología es complicada para todos.

    You're very sharp, but these days technology is complicated for everyone. (to a woman, formal)

Panel 3 of 14 for “When they tell you they're calling from the bank, hang up”: Also, when something pops up on the screen, you press everything, like the elevator buttons. (formal)

  1. Además, cuando algo sale en la pantalla, usted lo aprieta todo, como los botones del ascensor.

    Also, when something pops up on the screen, you press everything, like the elevator buttons. (formal)

Panel 4 of 14 for “When they tell you they're calling from the bank, hang up”: With the mouse, first you read and then you press. It's that simple.

  1. Con el ratón, primero se lee y después se aprieta. Es así de sencillo.

    With the mouse, first you read and then you press. It's that simple.

Panel 5 of 14 for “When they tell you they're calling from the bank, hang up”: Rule one: when you get a text message with a link, don't click on it. (formal)

  1. Regla uno: cuando le llegue un SMS con un enlace, no pinche en él.

    Rule one: when you get a text message with a link, don't click on it. (formal)

Panel 6 of 14 for “When they tell you they're calling from the bank, hang up”: If the bank wants to show you something, it shows it to you in your app, not with a link. (formal)

  1. Si el banco quiere mostrarle algo, se lo muestra en su aplicación, no con un enlace.

    If the bank wants to show you something, it shows it to you in your app, not with a link. (formal)

Panel 7 of 14 for “When they tell you they're calling from the bank, hang up”: A pop-up window that talks about an urgent update or a prize is a scam. Close it. (formal)

  1. Una ventana emergente que habla de una actualización urgente o de un premio es un timo. Ciérrela.

    A pop-up window that talks about an urgent update or a prize is a scam. Close it. (formal)

Panel 8 of 14 for “When they tell you they're calling from the bank, hang up”: Rule two: when they tell you they're calling from the bank, hang up. (formal)

  1. Regla dos: cuando le digan que llaman del banco, cuelgue.

    Rule two: when they tell you they're calling from the bank, hang up. (formal)

Panel 9 of 14 for “When they tell you they're calling from the bank, hang up”: On the phone, there's no way to know who's really calling.

  1. Por teléfono no hay manera de saber quién llama de verdad.

    On the phone, there's no way to know who's really calling.

Panel 10 of 14 for “When they tell you they're calling from the bank, hang up”: Criminals pretend to be the bank, the police or a grandson in trouble.

  1. Los delincuentes se hacen pasar por el banco, por la policía o por un nieto con problemas.

    Criminals pretend to be the bank, the police or a grandson in trouble.

Panel 11 of 14 for “When they tell you they're calling from the bank, hang up”: They always rush you: the scammer doesn't want you to think. (formal)

  1. Siempre le meten prisa: el timador no quiere que usted piense.

    They always rush you: the scammer doesn't want you to think. (formal)

Panel 12 of 14 for “When they tell you they're calling from the bank, hang up”: Rule three: the code, the PIN and the DNI are not given out over the phone.

  1. Regla tres: el código, la clave y el DNI no se dan por teléfono.

    Rule three: the code, the PIN and the DNI are not given out over the phone.

Panel 13 of 14 for “When they tell you they're calling from the bank, hang up”: If you've already clicked on something, call the bank so that they block the card. Then take a screenshot and go to the police station.…

  1. Si ya ha pinchado en algo, llame al banco para que bloqueen la tarjeta. Después haga una captura de la pantalla y vaya a la comisaría.

    If you've already clicked on something, call the bank so that they block the card. Then take a screenshot and go to the police station. (formal)

Panel 14 of 14 for “When they tell you they're calling from the bank, hang up”: If I were you, I wouldn't pick up if an unknown number calls. And if you're not sure, come down to my apartment. (formal)

  1. Yo que usted, no descolgaría si llama un número desconocido. Y si duda, baje a mi piso.

    If I were you, I wouldn't pick up if an unknown number calls. And if you're not sure, come down to my apartment. (formal)

Grammar for this text

Cuando le llegue un SMS con un enlace, no pinche en él: cuando about the future + subjunctive (llegue, unit 21). No pinche is a negative usted command (unit 16). Here pinchar en means "to click on a link", not "to get a flat tire". En él means "on it": the pronoun refers back to enlace, which is masculine.

Le dejo esta nota para que nadie la engañe: para que + subjunctive, because someone else would do the tricking (unit 19). La is Carmen ("you", formal). The same in llame al banco para que bloqueen la tarjeta: bloqueen is "they", the people who work at the bank.

Cuando le digan que llaman del banco, cuelgue: digan is an impersonal "they", "when they tell you" (unit 21). Cuelgue means "hang up", an usted command.

Yo que usted, no descolgaría: "if I were you, I wouldn't pick up". After yo que usted comes the conditional in the yo form (unit 5), just like English "if I were you, I would…". Descolgar is to pick up the phone, the opposite of colgar.

El timador no quiere que usted piense: querer que + subjunctive (unit 18). Se lo muestra en su aplicación: se lo means "it to you" (unit 10). Se lee, se aprieta: impersonal se (unit 7), "you read, you press". Los delincuentes se hacen pasar por el banco: hacerse pasar por means "to pretend to be". Siempre le meten prisa: "they always rush you".

Words and grammar of the unit: Spot a scammer.

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