The new data brought to the world transactions by the coronavirus crisis have sharply increased the electronic transactions and together with the electronic frauds that have now become a scourge for the consumers.
ΠWhat are the pitfalls set by the perpetrators to deceive their victims on the Internet and when should one be suspicious?
1. Ads on the internet or social media
Frauds through online classifieds for product sales, online rentals, car sales or virtual jobs have become widespread. The owner of the ad on the internet or on social media receives a communication from a supposed interested party, who then asks him for personal e-banking codes, the number and / or PIN of his cards and other relevant information, in order to allegedly not exist. delay in payment.
2. Phishing emails
These are deceptive emails, which copy the logo, features and style of the actual messages that the customer receives from the bank and may include an attached file or a link.
Scammers send deceptive emails or SMSs pretending to be sent by the recipients' bank. These messages usually state that "suspicious activity has been observed" on the recipient's account or card or that "his account or card has been locked or deactivated".
The messages give a link and urge the recipients to follow the instructions in it to solve the problem. However, the link leads to a fraudulent web page identical to that of the recipient bank. Recipients do not realize the difference and so fill in e-banking codes, one-time codes (OTP) and other information.
3. Smishing (SMS Phishing)
In this case, the scammers are fishing for potential victims through mobile phones. They send SMS messages asking recipients to follow a link or call a phone number in order to extract personal and financial information or security codes.
4. SIM Swapping
This is the replacement of a mobile phone sim card without the knowledge of the rightful owner. With the activation of the new card, the old one in the possession of the legal subscriber is deactivated and thus all the services (calls, SMS) are received in the device in the possession of the fraudsters, allowing them to carry out illegal activities without the knowledge of the legal subscribers. , receiving calls and messages intended for them, intercepting one-time codes or security verification messages that the bank sends to its customer.
Using the mobile phone number as one of the main and basic elements for the strong and reliable identification of its holder / subscriber, is an international practice used by organizations, companies and the public for the services they offer.
Banks are no exception to this practice, as they use their customers' mobile phone numbers as a means of sending one-time codes (OTP) that enhance the security of electronic transactions (funds transfers, card purchases, etc.). , sending security alerts for transactions that have been performed and their remote registration in new services.
First of all, the SIM card replacement (SIM Replace) is a completely legal service offered by the mobile phone providers to their subscribers, so that the latter can keep their phone number in case of loss or theft of their device or due to need of use. different size of SIM card. With the activation of the new SIM card, the old card is automatically deactivated and the mobile telephony services (calls, SMS, internet access) are performed from now on by the new card that works with the same number.
In cases of SIM Swapping fraud, the perpetrators take advantage of the possibility of changing the SIM card and pretend to be either the SIM card holder or someone authorized by the legal subscriber, thus trying to deceive the mobile phone providers and obtain a new card to replace the one legal holder.
As soon as they activate the new card, the old one, which is in the possession of the legal subscriber, is deactivated and thus all services (calls, SMS, internet access) are received on the device in the possession of the deceived perpetrator, enabling them to carry out illegal activities. without the knowledge of legitimate subscribers (eg receiving calls and messages intended for them, stealing one-time passwords or security verification messages, etc.)
5. Vishing (Voice Phishing)
It is the telephone fraud, with the most typical example being the communication for repairing a computer software failure. The perpetrators deceive the victims as alleged representatives of a well-known IT company, gaining remote access to their computer. Several times the conversation is in English. Scammers tell the recipient that their computer or mobile device is infected with malware and ask them to install remote access software to fix the problem.
6. Fraud to mediate the transfer of illegal money (money muling)
Scammers ask a person to mediate the money transfer and offer a fee to deposit money into their account. They then ask the victim to either give them the money by withdrawing it from an ATM or store or transfer it to another person's account.
7. Fraudulent payment orders by email
Scammers gain unauthorized access to e-mail between professionals or traders who do business, either as suppliers or as customers.
8. Investment scams
The fraudsters communicate mainly by phone with unsuspecting citizens, pretending to be employees of large investment companies abroad and speaking fluent Greek. They promise high returns by opening an account on online investment platforms. However, these platforms are virtual. Most of those who have been deceived report that when they asked for their profits to be returned to them, they found that they had fallen victim to fraud.
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