New telephone scam spreading: customers being fleeced in the name of the central bank
Cybercriminals impersonate employees of the Hungarian National Bank or commercial banks, then redirect victims' savings to treasury accounts.
New telephone scam spreading: customers being fleeced in the name of the central bank
The Hungarian National Bank (MNB) has received multiple reports that criminals are attempting to defraud people by using the central bank's name, according to a warning from Pénzcentrum.
The fraudsters call unsuspecting customers by telephone and claim that a security issue has arisen with their bank account. They say they have managed to prevent unauthorised transfer of funds, then begin to establish what savings the person has.
If it emerges that the victim has an account with the Hungarian State Treasury, they convince them by various pretexts to request online access to it. If they do not yet have such an account, they attempt to persuade them to open one and to transfer money to it.
During the next call, the criminals elicit the identification details and passwords needed for access. With these in their possession, they register a bank account number on the online platform under the customer's name, whilst the account actually belongs to the fraudsters. Finally, they transfer the entire amount in the treasury account, or money from the sale of securities, to their own account.
The MNB, the Hungarian State Treasury and other financial organisations never request passwords or identification details by telephone, email or SMS. If you are urged to take immediate action or asked to provide confidential information, it is advisable to end the conversation and enquire with the relevant institution's official customer service.
Source: Pénzcentrum
Source: Google News HU — Crime (hu)