Poles often share information that they should not disclose. This is what cybercriminals and telephone fraudsters pretending to be bank employees are waiting for. There is an important social campaign on this topic.
Cybercriminals are constantly looking for new ways to cheat – warns a voice in the campaign of the Polish Bank Association. Even when resting, it is worth staying vigilant. – When an online buyer sends you a link to a courier company, by clicking on the link you help get robbed – says the narrator in the clip.
Being left with an empty account, without means of subsistence, means dramas and there are more and more of them.
– The trends are growing. Much of the fraud has moved online, says superintendent. Adam Cieślak from the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime. Wallets disappear, even if we don't keep them in our pockets, but on our computer or phone. Every year, bandits steal PLN 80 million this way.
Data from the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime show that two years ago, bandits committed over 90,000 frauds on the Internet, and in the first half of this year already 56,000, so it is certain that a record will be broken.
Number of online fraudsCentral Office for Combating Cybercrime
Fraud involving a fake bank employee
Not only older people are victims of thieves. Age, gender and education do not matter when we are in a hurry, give in to emotions and do not care about safety.
– One of the most frequently used schemes is that a fake bank employee calls the customer and says that his bank account funds are at risk because criminals are allegedly trying to steal them and very quick action is needed – says Tadeusz Białek from the Polish Bank Association .
It should be like a reflex: we hang up and call the bank's hotline. Although most of us have encountered fraud online – according to the “Cyberbezpieczny Portfel” report – users still use very simple passwords. Many people protect their hard-earned money with the slogan “ninia” or “misiaczek”.
– The best banking security is not perfect if we do not take care of our own safety and the security of personal data – points out the superintendent. Ewelina Mączkorowska from the Office for Combating Economic Crime at the Police Headquarters.
You should not leave your phone or computer in plain view, unattended, and do not recklessly provide your data.
Main photo source: TVN24