Bank fraud in Zlín region foiled: woman nearly lost 720,000 crowns
A 28-year-old woman from the Zlín region fell victim to a fraud scheme involving a fake police officer and a Czech National Bank employee. Bank staff blocked a transfer of over 720,000 crowns in time.
Fake police officer and CNB employee: 720,000 crown fraud fails
According to Novinky.cz, bank employees prevented fraudsters from stealing over 720,000 crowns from a 28-year-old woman from the Zlín region through their quick response. The case exemplifies so-called vishing — telephone fraud based on social engineering methods.
The entire incident was triggered by a phone call from a man who introduced himself as a criminal investigator from Vyškov. "The fake investigator told the woman that a loan of four hundred thousand crowns had been approved in her name and with a forged power of attorney," said spokeswoman Monika Kozumplíková. To increase credibility, the fraudster sent the woman an email with an official-looking summons and a photograph of the alleged perpetrator.
The woman was subsequently transferred to another man who posed as a security officer at the Czech National Bank. He presented himself with a forged identity card and a bank employee ID. According to Kozumplíková, he convinced her that her personal data had leaked from the Prague branch, and in order to save her money, she allegedly needed to take out a second loan and transfer everything to a so-called special bridge account.
Frightened and at work at the time, the woman transferred three hundred thousand crowns between her own accounts in different banks under pressure, and simultaneously applied for a loan of four hundred thousand crowns at one of them. "Once the loan was approved, she wanted to send over seven hundred and twenty thousand crowns to the fraudsters' account. They even advised her to tell the bankers, if asked about the purpose of the loan, that she needed the money for house renovation," the spokeswoman said.
However, the woman was fortunate. Bank staff assessed the transaction as high-risk and held the payment. In the meantime, the victim herself began to have doubts — she ended the call with the fraudsters and verified the situation directly with her bank. "Thanks to the vigilance of the bank staff, the payment was not approved at all, the account was blocked, and the loan application was subsequently cancelled. The money remained safe," Kozumplíková added. The unknown perpetrators face up to five years imprisonment for fraud.
The case fits into a broader trend. Vishing — the telephone equivalent of phishing — has become an increasingly common method in recent years. Fraudsters pose as police officers or bank employees and attempt to convince victims that their account has been attacked or that someone has taken out a loan in their name. The aim is to extract sensitive data or directly force the victim to transfer money to the attackers' accounts.
Source: Novinky.cz