Mindfulness on guard of financial freedom

The feeling of financial freedom, the constant availability of funds, the ability to pay by a card without additional difficulties have already become familiar elements of our lives due to the high level of modern banking. The other side of progress – scammers try to use these opportunities for their own purposes. We will figure out how to avoid undesirable consequences.

Fortunately, many card users are already aware of the methods of primitive fraud and the ways of protect against them. But, unfortunately, as statistics show, swindlers continue to steal money from cards. According to the Ukrainian Interbank Payment System Members Association “EMA”, the damage caused by cyber thieves in 2018 exceeds 25 million UAH. Of this amount, only 16 million were returned. Fraudsters can use the phone, Internet, ATMs to get your personal data, and accordingly – control over the card. The arsenal of methods that are being technically improved is growing. Consider them in detail, because warned – means armed!

First, we will check if each cardholder knows the first rule, what data should not be shared with anyone:

• validity;
• PIN;
• CVV code (3 digits on the back);
• any logins and passwords, in particular for accessing the online- and mobile banking;
• codes (confirmation passwords) and other information from SMS-messages from the bank.

In order to find out your personal data, fraudsters may appear to be persons of trust (for example, a bank employee). Be sure that the bank employee will not require this data. If you are asked to provide card details by phone, SMS, email or instant messenger, then this is definitely an attempt of fraud. Stop the conversation or do not reply to suspicious messages. Usually, they are with the following text, approximately: “Vasha kartka bude zablokovana bankom. "Terminovo proidit autorizaciu abo zatelefonuite ...". The number from which the message arrives is different from the one to which the SMS on your bank transactions is received. Keep calm, and even if you get information about possible blocking of the card, check it by calling the bank’s hotline or at the branch, do not call dubious numbers!

Phone number

As we know, a personal phone number is associated with our account, and the bank sends all information about card transactions to this number. Sometimes the phone is a login to enter your account. Malefactors gain control of the phone number by ordering the service for remotely re-issuing a SIM-card. To do this, they just need to call the number several times, as if by mistake, and to renew the SIM-card, inform the mobile operator about the latest calls. Similar risks arise if your phone is stolen and it is not password protected. In addition, evidence of the criminal intent of scammers it is topping up your account by unknown persons.

Журнал «Народний банкір» №11/2019

How can you protect yourself?

• The best way is to contact the operator and disconnect the ability to reissue the SIM-card remotely, attach the financial phone number to your passport.
• Download the mobile operator's program on the phone number monitoring.
• If you receive suspicious calls from unfamiliar numbers, or you notice the lack of mobile coverage in your usual location, immediately contact the bank and block the card.
• Do not use a financial phone number as a login to access the Internet-banking.

Online payments

The simplicity and speed of payments via the Internet makes life convenient and saves time. But this also makes it easier for attackers to use your card. To pay on the Internet or transfer money to another card, a scammer needs to know the card number, expiration date, and CVV-code. Since you are able to control the limit of online payments using your personal cabinet, it is better to increase the limit every time you want to make a calculation. Of course, this requires additional efforts, but when it comes to saving your money, it's worth it. When buying goods on the Internet, there is a risk of stumbling on unscrupulous sellers. This should not happen if you buy only in large, reliable networks, and be careful when buying goods with mandatory prepayment.

How can you protect yourself?

• Block and unblock permission for online transactions and change the limit when you need it.
• Avoid using unfamiliar payment services.
• Use a separate card for paying on the Internet.
• Connect SMS-banking. Having noticed incomprehensible activity on the card via SMS, immediately block the card and transactions on the Internet, by calling the bank on the hotline or by yourself in the Internet-banking.
•  If you buy from an unfamiliar seller, choose only the payment option after receiving the goods.
• Activate 3D Secure protocol for additional protection of transactions.

ATMs

When withdrawing cash from ATMs, there is a risk to face with an overhead keyboard or skimming devices for reading data from magnetic tape. To protect yourself from fraud, check the keyboard and card reader for the absence of unnecessary devices, cover your keyboard with your hand when entering a PIN-code and use only trusted ATMs installed in safe places (for example, in bank branches, crowded places, large shopping centers, and offices).

Журнал «Народний банкір» №11/2019

Cloud services and social networks

Another dangerous type of fraud is gaining momentum every day – the theft of personal information from cloud services. For convenience, sometimes we save pictures of personal documents and even payment cards in the phone gallery and cloud services. Sometimes we send such pictures by mail. You should not do it! At least delete such emails immediately. Modern cyber thieves can break personal accounts for Google services, social networks, mailboxes, and use passport data, in particular, for drawing up a loan.

How can you protect yourself?

• Do not store personal data, copies of documents on Google Drive.
• Set up dual authorization of e-mail and instant messengers (in addition to the login and password, you must enter the code).
• Once a year, change passwords for your accounts in services, social networks, mailboxes. A password must be complicated.

You are financially free if you care of safety!

View the entire issue