Cases of bank card fraud are becoming more frequent in Belarus. How not to become a victim of criminals?

Information on the most common methods of unauthorized access to bank payment cards and accounts, and recommendations for crime prevention

Currently, the most common social engineering methods used by criminals are:

·         The method of extracting bank payment card details using compromised social media accounts of friends, where, on behalf of a friend, you are asked to provide card details or perform certain actions to transfer funds through remote banking services;

·         The "fake buyer" method, where a criminal, posing as a buyer, contacts a bank client – a seller (who has posted an advertisement for the sale of goods online) and, under the pretext of making a deposit before purchasing the goods, provides the seller with a link to a fraudulent website (visually similar to the official bank website) to receive a money transfer;

·         Vishing – a type of fraud where an attacker, using telephone communication and playing a specific role (e.g., a bank employee), under various pretexts obtains confidential information from a cardholder (card details, passport number, personal identification number, other authentication data, including logins, passwords, SMS codes) or encourages them to perform specific actions with their account or card;

·         Smartphone-based method – under the pretext of making a call, an attacker asks for a smartphone, and then secretly installs software on it (registers in the interbank identification system, gains access to perform operations in the electronic money settlement system, etc.), through which they transfer funds (electronic money).

We draw your attention to the fact that to protect clients' funds, the bank has all

necessary information. The bank should not ask you for your card details or passport data.

Therefore, NEVER DISCLOSE TO ANYONE:

·         information located on your bank payment card (on both sides): number, expiry date, CVV/CVC code;

·         codes that the bank sends you via SMS, codes on a separate card issued by the bank, login and password, other numeric or alphanumeric codes;

·         passport data: passport number, personal identification number, etc.

If you receive such calls, IMMEDIATELY end the conversation, contact the contact center of the bank that issued the card (using the number from the bank's official website or the one indicated on your card), describe the situation, and follow the recommendations of the bank employee.

DO NOT HAND OVER your mobile phone to anyone and warn your loved ones about this, especially children and the elderly!

Main Directorate of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus for the Vitebsk Region.

Photo from open sources, illustrative in nature.