How you can protect yourself
Online transactions and electronic transactions in general are experiencing further rapid growth internationally and in our country during the last 12 months, they were established due to the pandemic and the strict restrictive measures, but will prevail after the end of the pandemic.
The use of electronic banking (e-banking and m-banking) as well as the use of cards on the internet has become a dominant tool and in some cases even mandatory, as is now the case with retail markets.
This huge increase, which is estimated to have come after the pandemic, should mobilize consumers to be vigilant about the safe use of online services and their awareness of the modern forms of cyber fraud prevailing on the internet. .
As Ioannis Tzanos, Group Corporate Security Officer & Chief Information Security Officer of Eurobank, tells APE-MPE, these modern forms of electronic fraud and consumer protection methods have begun to become known to the general public both through the Hellenic Banking Association (EET). ) and the Cybercrime Prosecution, which have made relevant announcements, as well as through competent bank executives who, through public interventions, inform the traders.
However, what emerges from the various incidents that have been recorded, the fraudsters focus mainly on how they can deceive and deceive the citizens rather than trying to violate or “hack” a system of a bank.
1. Phishing – Electronic Fishing
Unraveling the labyrinth of internet fraud, Mr. Tzanos places great emphasis on the attention and vigilance that citizens must show in order not to fall victim to cyber “fishing”, our well-known phishing, through fraudulent emails or SMS messages. These messages remind you once again, they usually state that “suspicious activity has been observed in your account or on your card” or that “your account or card has been locked or deactivated” and urge potential victims to follow the instructions. that exist in a link which is located within the email or SMS itself.
Unfortunately, this link leads to a fake website (similar to that of their bank for example) where they unsuspectingly enter their e-banking codes, credit card details and one-time (OTP) codes which are stolen by fraudsters for be able to make illegal money transfers and online purchases by debiting their victims’ accounts.
Citizens should be very suspicious of messages about “informing” them about “problems” related to trading instruments and be aware that:
• Banks will never send messages (email, SMS) that the account or card has been locked or that there is a suspicious transaction and then refer them via a link to a website to enter their personal information to be resolved the so-called problem.
• These deceptive messages are sent en masse and by chance. In other words, they are not personalized, they do not mention either the customer’s name or which account has the problem.
• These messages usually have spelling or syntax errors. In case of doubt about the authenticity of the messages, users should – contact their Bank for clarifications.
• Carefully check the description of the messages (SMS, Viber, Push Notifications) they receive with the one-time code (OTP) for the approval of their transactions.
• To subscribe to the services of their banks that provide notifications via SMS, Viber and e-mail when their accounts are debited.
• Immediately inform their bank in case they have identified transactions that do not have their approval or have not been made by them.
2. Fraud under the pretext of PC repair
Citizens should also be very careful when calling strangers (usually from abroad speaking English) who impersonate technicians from a large IT company and inform them that their computer is allegedly infected with viruses. Then they ask to install remote management software, to allegedly fix the problem and cheat them to “give” them their personal codes in e-banking as well as the one-time codes (OTP) that they currently receive via SMS or Viber, which they use to “empty” their accounts.
Citizens should immediately stop calling if they receive a phone call from an unknown number and a person claiming to be from a large multinational IT company, without having previously declared any damage themselves.
3. Purchases and sales through online ads
Citizens should be especially careful because scammers post ads on the Internet for allegedly selling cars, cell phones or other products and deceive potential buyers into sending in advance or the full amount but never receiving what they bought.
At other times, when citizens try to sell a product through an online advertisement, the perpetrators are convinced that they have either already been paid for the product they sold, mainly by showing them a fake money transfer certificate or that they have inadvertently deposited it. higher amount and demand the return of the difference.
They usually claim that they “accidentally pressed” a zero above and instead of e.g. for 100 euros deposited 1,000. In this case, too, in order to prove their claim, they send a false proof of deposit. However, the best confirmation is to check the account to see if money has actually been credited and for what amount.
Citizens should:
• Avoid making advances for online purchases, especially without having seen the products first.
• To control the movement of their accounts for the exact amount that has been credited to them by the buyer.
4. Investment scams
Citizens should also be very cautious when approached by strangers, either by phone or email, pretending to work for supposedly large foreign investment companies and being promised high returns by investing money through fake investment platforms on the Internet. In fact, to be convincing most of the time these people speak Greek very well.
Unfortunately, those who trust them, invest their money, which they see “virtually” increasing, but when they ask for the profits to be returned to them, they find that this is not done and that they have fallen victim to fraud.
Citizens should be careful:
• When strangers communicate with them through a telephone number.
• Before making any account opening on an online investment platform, check whether it is licensed by an existing and competent supervisory authority.
