The Hellenic Banking Association, in the context of the systematic actions of its members and itself, informs the trading public that internationally there is an increase in the typology fraud Caller ID Spoofing (changing the identity of the calling number and intercepting a real number).

In particular, customers of Banks and other financial institutions, they receive a phone call which while appearing to come from their Bank – as the telco’s caller ID service shows the customer their Bank’s phone number – actually comes from malicious third parties that exploiting existing technological capabilities and WITHOUT having hacked the bank’s systems, call impersonating bank executives trying to steal sensitive bank details (username & password, card numbers, PINs, OTPs, etc.) in order to extract money from the victims’ accounts their.

As a rule, they cite the need to use this information to supposedly protect the customer from malicious actions.

These calls, to make them even more believable, are usually made immediately after one failed phone attempt to defraud the same customer. In the second call, the malicious third parties claim to be calling from the Bank that detected the previous fraud attempt and are calling to protect the customer.

As typologies of electronic fraud “travel” very quickly from country to country, the Union recommends the trading public to be very careful when receiving these types of phone calls.

Advice to the trading public

  • Be especially careful with phone calls that appear to come from your Bank but the caller is asking for sensitive bank details.
  • Always remember that during a genuine communication from your Bank, even if you don’t expect it or it really concerns transaction verification, you will never be asked to disclose sensitive bank details like those described above.
  • If you receive a similar call or during a call you feel that they are trying to defraud you, immediately end the call and call your Bank’s customer service number.
  • Never enter “codes” that indicate you during such calls.
  • Read very carefully the entire messages that your Bank sends you with SMS OTP or Viber OTP and do not limit yourself to searching and immediately typing the six-digit one-time code.

Seven points to look out for to spot a scam call

  • The caller doesn’t give you time to think, ask for more information or talk to another family member as “there is no time”. He tries, using the same reason, to prevent you from contacting your Bank yourself.
  • They ask for your card details, your full PIN or your online banking passwords (user name & password).
  • During the call, you receive an SMS from the Bank and the interlocutor claims that it is to cancel the fraudulent transaction. In fact no one-time code is needed for the Bank to cancel any fraudulent transaction against you.
  • They ask you to transfer your money to another “secure” account or make a “dummy”/”test” transaction.
  • They ask you to go to an ATM to withdraw or transfer to an account they will indicate to you.
  • They tell you that you are a victim of fraud and they will send a courier to your home to give them your card and PIN or money they have convinced you to withdraw from an ATM to protect it.
  • They call you on your landline and ask for information about your mobile device or prompt you to turn it off.