Phone fraud: Woman from Žatec area loses 800,000 crowns
A 50-year-old woman from the Žatec area lost nearly 800,000 crowns after a telephone call from a man claiming to be a bank official. The perpetrator remains unknown.
Fake banker defrauded woman from Žatec area of nearly 800,000 crowns
A 50-year-old woman from the Žatec area lost nearly 800,000 crowns after she believed a caller claiming to be a bank employee. According to zatecky.denik.cz, police are now investigating the case, and the perpetrator's identity remains unknown.
"The victim was contacted by telephone by a perpetrator claiming to be a bank employee. He told her that her bank account and finances were in danger, which is why it was necessary for her to follow the instructions she would receive over the phone," said police spokesperson Jakub Mareš. The victim complied with the instructions and transferred a significant sum of money from two accounts.
Mareš described the typical course of similar frauds: the fake banker first frightens the victim, persuades them to transfer money to an account designated as "secure" and presents the entire transaction as a temporary security measure. "It must be stressed that a bank never requires such action from its clients. We recommend always visiting your bank in person and not acting hastily," the spokesperson emphasised.
Police have warned against this type of fraud long-term and have issued specific recommendations. People are advised not to respond to such calls at all and under no circumstances to disclose sensitive information — access passwords to online banking, payment card security details or authorisation codes received in the form of SMS messages.
Police officers also warn of the technical capabilities of attackers: "The attacker can impersonate any telephone number, SMS message sender, or even an email address. Never allow anyone suspicious remote access to your computer." When logging into online banking, they recommend always verifying that the domain of the login page corresponds to the correct one. "If your money were truly in danger, the bank itself would respond and take further action," police add, noting that in case of any doubts, it is advisable to contact the bank directly.
Source: Google News CZ — Crime (cs)