Many citizens in the Russian Federation are faced with fraud, regardless of age and social status. We will take a closer look at what types of data and money fraud exist and how to protect yourself.
Types of financial fraud
Unfortunately, the range of fraud has expanded to include online payments, online shopping, banking applications and cellular communications. But all cases of fraud have one thing in common - the psychological influence of the scammers on the victims.
This is how banking and Internet fraud is most often used against citizens. Now let's look at them in more detail.
Bank fraud
The lion's share of bank fraud occurs in small branches. Not for the big ones. There is no constant control, and bank employees have more authority.
Because of this, fraud occurs with deposits, loan amounts, substitution of banknotes and debiting funds from customer cards.
There is also a high probability of encountering fraud when withdrawing money from ATMs. So, when you try to debit money, the sensor reads your card data and its PIN code.
How to protect yourself from bank fraud
If you are dealing with bank loans or deposits, read the agreement. Don’t be afraid to ask the manager about all the provisions of the contract and requirements for the client.
Are there any unclear terms in the contract? Don't sign it! This can be used against you.
When it comes to payments, consider how much you deposit into the account and how much you have left to pay.
It is also necessary to recalculate funds when receiving money from a bank employee. Even if they don’t want to deceive you, they may well shortchange you.
Do not use ATMs in unpopulated areas or in disadvantaged areas. The fact is that in such places there is no constant control. Accordingly, it will not be difficult for fraudsters to install reader devices on banking equipment.
Internet is a scam
The other day, the Zecurion company reported that scammers have found a new way. Those people who sell goods through online trading platforms fall into the risk zone.
The fraudster, posing as a buyer, is ready to pay for the product. Asks for bank card details of the seller of the goods. In addition to the card number, full name of the owner, a CVV code is requested. Supposedly it is needed to carry out the transaction.
Many cardholders do not suspect a trick and send the data. After which, all funds are withdrawn from the account.
In addition, personal data is stolen using phishing. Most often, this method involves sending emails with a malicious link. It is the latter that will allow your data to be stolen.
"Nigerian Letters". Yes, they still exist and people fall for them. These mailings contain a beautiful legend about an inheritance from a mythical relative. There is a request to transfer money to an account to pay for services.
Internet payment fraud. The opposite situation is when the buyer, transferring funds to the seller’s account, receives neither the goods nor the return of his funds.
How to avoid online scams
Be vigilant, do not open suspicious emails or leave personal information. Especially if they require your card details.
Remember that the reverse side of it is intended only for you. You should not give your card to strangers, including when paying for purchases in stores and public catering establishments.
Spread your funds across multiple accounts. Also use cash withdrawal limits when making purchases. This way you can reduce the risk of hacking and loss of your funds.
According to the above data, most often, citizens lose their funds due to inattention, excessive trust and ignorance. Thus, more than 10,000 citizens of the Russian Federation become victims every year. Be vigilant and careful. Don't fall for scammers' tricks!
Hello, friends! A recent incident that happened to a friend of mine gave me the idea to try to systematize the most common cases of fraud on the Internet when looking for work and ways to earn money, in an effort to increase your savings, when posting advertisements for sale on various sites, etc.
If you are sure that the scammer will get nothing from you but a tasty kick, and you will not succumb to the tricks of those who like easy money under any pretext, then this article is not for you. Less experienced people may want to pay attention to it, because the information presented is based on the experience of victims and those who have been hooked by deceivers.
- Strangers call you to whom you have never given your phone number. Having identified themselves as a representative of some company with a meaningless name, they call you by name and offer to very quickly (literally in a week) earn 100% of the invested funds.
- At the same time, they do not listen to your objections and absolutely do not allow you to express your desire to refuse the services offered. They speak quickly, brazenly and without stopping, interspersing their speech with terms and phrases that are not always understandable.
- They are extremely clingy. And if you start to clarify something or ask again, or there are notes of interest or doubt in your voice, the process of persuasion can drag on for a long time.
- They rush and literally push you into making a decision, telling you about incredible opportunities that you may miss.
- They can:
- offer to profitably place your funds in the campaign at a high interest rate;
- offer to give money to the most experienced and best trader for management;
- invite you to visit a cosmetic center for free or undergo a full examination at a medical center;
- offer a profitable job with a certain amount to start (supposedly to pay for educational materials, etc.);
- introduce yourself as a bank employee and report any fraudulent activity with your card.
What to do in this case? Immediately say a firm “no” and hang up. In such cases, they usually do not call back again, although the database with your number may be sold to someone else.
And you should always remember about free cheese and a mousetrap. You cannot get any benefits without costs. Even if at first glance these costs are not visible.
Frequent methods of deception on free classifieds sites
It is now very easy to get rid of something or, conversely, to purchase something via the Internet. I found the right site (Avito, Yula and others), photographed the item for sale, posted it, set a price and waited for buyers.
Everything would be fine, but it turns out that even here you can run into cunning scammers: both sellers and buyers. I almost fell for their bait a couple of times.
Fraud on the part of the buyer is by no means uncommon. For this purpose, many schemes have been invented to deceive inexperienced sellers. I had to deal with some of them on Avito.
The most popular ones are aimed at extracting information about his card from the seller in any way. Almost anyone can become a victim of such fraud. But most often, scammers target those who have just posted their ad or are selling stale expensive goods.
And this works especially easily if a person is not particularly familiar with the basics of financial literacy and the rules for using a bank card.
“Run to the ATM!”
This is exactly what the imaginary buyer advised me to do (and at one time there were many such offers). Scammers usually called within the first minutes after the ad was posted. Having told that the item was very necessary, but the buyer could not meet and pay in cash at the moment, they offered to transfer the money to the card.
But why in such a strange way? Why was it suggested to run to the nearest ATM? They will give you hundreds of reasons why you should do exactly this, justifying them quite reasonably.
Next, following the instructions of the deceiver over the phone (in addition to the card number, tell him the SMS code that comes to your phone linked to the card), we ourselves transfer money from the card and transfer control over it to him. And it will be extremely unpleasant if there is a lot of money on it or it is a credit card.
Payment by bank transfer
We also tried this option. The piano was put up for sale. The buyer who called happily said that he was looking for exactly this option, for example, for a music school. But bad luck - now he is not in the city. But he can pay at least now, thus keeping the necessary thing for himself.
Further events may develop as follows: during telephone conversations or correspondence, the fraudster, having lulled the vigilance of his victim, who has forgotten about security, offers to provide the details necessary for transferring money.
The unsuspecting owner of the item can give not only his card number, but also other important information (whether the card is connected to a mobile bank, authentication code, expiration date, full name of its owner, SMS confirmation code).
The point of all these actions is to extract valuable information and gain access to the card through online banking. After which the money from your card will be transferred to the card of the fraudster, who will then be unable to be contacted or reached.
How to protect yourself from such situations?
If this happens, the bank will not be able to help. The owner of the card himself violated the rules for using it and provided all the information about it of his own free will.
Therefore, never disclose to third parties the secret security code CVV2 (consists of 3 digits), which confirms the authenticity of the card, the name of its owner, expiration date and, of course, the PIN code and secret one-time codes that are sent to the phone in SMS messages .
And even more so, this cannot be done if it is a credit card: it is better not to “shine” its details on the Internet and under no circumstances disclose it to the buyer. The bank will never ask you for these details. And in order for the funds to be credited to the account, it is enough to indicate only the card number.
And even if you do decide to tell the buyer the details of the debit card, at least make sure that there are no funds on it. For operations of this kind, you can get a virtual card specially designed for these purposes and activate the 3D-Secure service.
Offer to send a message
You receive a message that the ad posted on the site has been blocked. To remove the blocking, you need to send a message to the short number. If you act in accordance with these recommendations, you will lose a certain amount from the card, because the message is paid and quite expensive.
Let's change!
Again, an SMS arrives asking you to look at the exchange option, with an incomprehensible link. By clicking on the “view exchange” link, you can lock your phone with a virus with a special picture inviting you to transfer money to someone’s number, or give a fraudster access to all passwords in your mobile bank.
Buyer from abroad
An old scheme used by scammers, most often when selling cameras or laptops.
First, a message comes from a foreigner who really liked your item and simply needs it. Payment for the transaction is negotiated through the payment system. The money is supposedly being transferred. But the confirmation received from the payment system about the transfer taking place turns out to be fake.
Attention iPhone sellers
The fraudulent buyer offers to enter his data into the iPhone (allegedly to check the login to ICloud - Apple's cloud storage), explaining this by the fact that, when he tried to buy such a phone earlier, he could not log into this service due to some error . And, to immediately make sure that everything will work out with your phone, he asks you for this service.
Product by mail
In this situation, the buyer and seller change places. You found something in another city, and the seller sends you the goods cash on delivery, providing the tracking number. To receive a parcel with a declared value, you need to pay its full cost and postal services (otherwise it will not be given to you). After opening it, it turns out that the inside is completely different, and this product costs much less than the amount you paid.
In this case, you can only rely on the integrity of the seller-sender. Because, if something happens, it will not be possible to return the parcel and, accordingly, the money spent back.
The essence of another fraudulent scheme is full prepayment. In this case, the bait for buyers is the low cost of the product, which is what they are “caught” by. The offer is so profitable that the potential buyer, taking a risk, still transfers money. And the seller who received the money disappears without a trace.
How to protect yourself?
- Do not send funds in advance for goods to strangers.
- If the product is located in your city, ask for an address where you can drive up and pre-inspect the product (especially if it is a large or expensive item).
- You can offer the seller to demonstrate the item remotely via Skype. In most cases, imaginary sellers refuse such communication.
- If there is no way to verify the reality of the product, it is better to completely refuse to purchase it.
By the way, responsible trading platforms constantly post warnings about various methods of fraud on their website. You shouldn't ignore them.
Common methods of Internet fraud
To pay for something online with a card, you don’t have to have it with you. Very often, for this it is enough to know only its details.
Many Internet users probably know what the term “phishing” means – it is one of the methods of virtual Internet fraud.
Perhaps some of you have already received “letters from the bank” by email with recommendations to follow the link provided and clarify your details or personal information. Moreover, this must be done urgently, otherwise “the account will be blocked”, “insurance or loan will be cancelled” and the like.
By playing on feelings of fear and uncertainty, on human gullibility, scammers immediately receive the requested information from many respondents.
The purpose of these fraudulent actions is the same as on online platforms for selling goods - to gain access to confidential user data (passwords and logins for a specific site, payment accounts) with their subsequent use. This is an example of the simplest phishing.
You can get the necessary information by creating a phishing site that almost completely replicates the original page: the same font, color, logos. The only difference can be found in the name of the site in the address bar. This is such an annoying typo. If it differs in any way from the original name, this is a 100% phishing page.
You can understand that this is a rogue site if you enter any set of characters as a password and specify a fictitious email address. The fake site will accept this made-up data as true and redirect it to the real site.
The fake site sends out mass emails in the name of the real site. The purpose of this scam is to “lure” unsuspecting users to a fictitious site, eliminating doubts about its authenticity, who will follow the phishing link and enter the required information into the proposed forms with their own hands.
A type of phishing – “scam” by phone
The goal of this phone scam is the same: to steal confidential information from bank customers.
Using technical means, scammers use a robotic voice from an auto-informer or using SMS messages from a fake bank security service to report, for example, that your card has been attacked by hackers or blocked, or you urgently need to repay a loan debt.
For clarification and details, you are asked to call a specific number, by calling which you will hear the voice of a polite operator who will ask you, in addition to the card number, to check its other details. Having told everything that is required, you will immediately part with your money.
Another option for SMS fraud is information about winning a sweepstakes or promotion. To receive a prize, you need to make a small contribution. Or you often receive an SMS message with a message that a certain amount of money has been mistakenly credited to your account and is urgently requested to be returned.
It should be remembered: banks never send messages about blocking cards and do not try to find out codes and confidential information related to customer cards in a conversation.
Skype scam
The scheme is as follows: the account is hacked. On behalf of its owner, imitating his communication style, contacts are established with friends and relatives of the victim. At the same time, scammers gain access to correspondence, from which they extract personal data: names, phone numbers, some details.
Having gained trust in this way, the attackers ask to transfer urgently needed money to their phone or card. After which communication abruptly stops.
You shouldn't always believe what happens online. If in doubt, it is better to make sure by contacting the real person from whom the request supposedly comes from in another way.
Fictitious charity
Unfortunately, Internet scammers also take advantage of the intention of caring people to provide all possible help to those in need (this is especially common on social networks). Using real stories of seriously ill children and substituting their bank details in them, they collect money in their accounts.
The list of various types of deception and schemes for “relatively honest taking of money from the population” goes on and on. Fraudsters are an inventive people. Their imagination is limitless, they constantly come up with new ways to deceive the gullible and naive and extract “easy” money. It is difficult to predict in what sophisticated way they will try to deceive next time. Therefore, caution must always be observed. For now, for now...
Millions of people become victims of scammers every year. They use telephones, email, snail mail and the Internet to extract personal information from you. Here are 10 tips from the Federal Trade Commission on how to protect yourself from scammers.
1. Know who you are dealing with. Try to find the seller's physical address (not a PO Box) and phone number. Online telephony and other Internet technologies make it easy for scammers to disguise their location. Search the company name and its website online and read reviews. If people post about bad experiences with them, you'll have to decide whether it's worth the risk.
2. Remember that sending money online is the same as sending cash. Never transfer money to strangers who claim to be your relatives or friends who want to keep the fact of the transfer a secret. Scammers often persuade people to send them money, especially abroad, because it is almost impossible to reverse such a transaction or track the money.
3. Read your monthly reports. Scammers steal account information, and then make payments and commit criminal acts in your name. Monitor your bank and credit card reports for charges on your card that you don't recognize or that look suspicious. Call your bank, card issuer or lender if you find transactions you didn't make.
4. In case of disaster, donate money only to reputable charities. Never give money to funds that come out of nowhere. You can find out more about donations using this link.
5. Talk to your doctor before purchasing health products or medications. Ask your doctor if there are studies to support the product's data and what the risks and side effects are. Buy only prescription drugs from licensed US pharmacies. Don't take risks buying counterfeit, expired, or incorrectly labeled medications. Follow this link to learn more about purchasing medicinal products.
6. Remember – there are no guarantees in investing. If someone contacts you offering a low-risk, high-reward investment, refrain. These scammers usually insist on immediate investment, guarantee high returns, promise low or no financial risk, or require you to send cash urgently.
7. Do not transfer money to people you don’t know. Never transfer money to online sellers you have never heard of before or to online crushes who ask for money. It is better to deal with trusted sites that you trust. If you're going to make a purchase online, it's best to make it using a high-security credit card. If you are not familiar with the company but want to buy something from them, type the company name into the search bar along with the words “complaints,” “reviews,” or “scam.”
8. Do not agree to collect a check or send money by wire transfer. By law, banks must make check amounts available within a few days, but detecting a counterfeit check can take several weeks. You are responsible for the checks you collect. If the check turns out to be counterfeit, you will be required to return the money to the bank.
9. Do not respond to messages asking for personal or financial information. No matter how you received this message, never provide your personal or financial information. Also, do not click on links or call numbers contained in the message.
10. Do not play foreign lotteries. Playing foreign lotteries is illegal. Don't believe messages that advertise your high chances of winning a foreign lottery or that tell you that you have already won. Scammers will claim that you need to send money to pay “taxes,” “fees,” or “customs duties” before sending you your winnings. If you send money, you will lose it.
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There are already queues of defrauded citizens at Sberbank: they have to get a new card to replace the canceled one. Most often, pensioners are scammed by scammers - due to their gullibility and increased responsibility: older people diligently follow the instructions of criminals, sincerely believing that they really are bank employees and are helping them not to lose money. But anyone can fall for the bait of deceivers.
SMS from fake “bank employees”
“This scheme is used constantly. Fraudsters use calls and SMS. Not everyone gets it. I think that you can fall for this if a series of coincidences occurs. For example, I use a Sberbank card as a salary card. And suddenly the card received a larger amount than usual. That is why I reacted painfully to the strange SMS that came to my phone - it said that my card was blocked and “due to a compromise, your account was exposed,” says Evgenia, a journalist. “I had a little financial disaster and it confused me.” Without thinking, I immediately called the phone number indicated in the SMS. But you should have called Sberbank! By phone indicated on the card and on the Sberbank website.”
The strangers at the other end of the line introduced themselves as bank managers and began their “work.” They asked Evgenia for her card number, which she gave, and then warned that SMS messages from the bank would now be coming, and asked her to provide the password numbers.
“Only later did I realize that at that moment, already knowing my card number, they hacked into my personal account on the Sberbank website - that’s why messages came from number 900 - the official number of the bank, from which all notifications about card movements usually come , says Evgenia. “I was robbed with my own participation.” But they did not have time to transfer money from my card. Something tugged at me. I remembered that usually in a conversation a bank employee asks for a code word. But this time they didn’t ask me about it. I hung up and called Sberbank back.”
It turned out that Evgenia’s card had indeed already been blocked, and the bank’s computer data reported that a transaction was currently taking place on the card. Sberbank managed to stop the operation and canceled the card. Evgenia had to go to the bank to get a new card.
“At Sberbank they told me that this is a popular deception scheme. The very next day they posted a warning about such a scheme on their website.”
Evgenia notes that scammers are clearly good psychologists. “They use different techniques in conversation. They are very polite, they sympathize with you. And at the same time they immediately say that the problem has already happened, setting up the “client” for the irreparable: “We are very sorry for you, we hope that this is not your last money, but it is no longer there, it was stolen from the card. Let's at least try to find out who withdrew money from your card. And justice will be restored, and by doing this you will help others.” You end up having a sincere and grateful conversation with the person who is deceiving you.”
“If you are contacted by phone, on the Internet, through social networks or in other ways and under various pretexts they try to find out your bank card details, passwords or other personal information, be vigilant: these are clear signs of fraud. If you have any doubts, we recommend stopping communication and contacting the bank at the phone number indicated on the back of your bank card,” Sberbank addresses its clients on the website.
A few simple safety rules will help when using a mobile phone, tablet or computer:
Online commerce is a breeding ground for fraud
Another common method of fraud operates on the Internet, for example, on the Avito portal. You have posted an advertisement for the sale of something, the buyer calls and, after superficial questions, offers to pay for the purchase in advance on your card (as a rule, we are talking about Sberbank cards due to their prevalence and versatility of the service).
“It would seem that things are going as well as possible, except for one detail: your interlocutor asks for the details of your bank card,” he says about the actions of the scammers Dmitry Volosov, managing partner of the law firm “Securities Consulting”. – Allegedly so that he could make a payment. Moreover, it asks not only for the card number, but also for the spelling of the name, expiration date and even... the security code on the other side of the card! Sometimes, in an unctuous voice, he offers to send a photo of the card - “to make it more convenient for you.” Once the data is transferred, there is one step left to defeating the scammers and defeating you as the hapless seller.”
At this point in the diagram, options are possible. Or the buyer himself will call you and ask you for the SMS code sent to your phone number (and the code will actually arrive!). This is the simplest option, since the very explanation of the need for such an action is simple: “so that I can send you money.” Or someone will call, call you by name in a stern voice and introduce themselves as an employee of some service of your bank. There is only one ending: this official interlocutor will also ask you to give the SMS code.
“Then events develop rapidly: the attackers gain access to online management of your account (and the code you dictated from the SMS was nothing more than a code to restore such access) and instantly transfer money from your account to where they need it,” explains the lawyer . “And they transfer not only from the card account whose data you provided to them (a common misconception), but from all other accounts too - access to Internet banking will allow you to operate with all your accounts.”
In fact, avoiding such fraud is elementary. It is enough to imagine how the online banking payment system works. “For your interlocutor to transfer money to you, he does not need to know all your bank card details. Her number is enough. And in the Sberbank-online system, which accounts for the lion’s share of fraud, the function of payments by the recipient’s phone number has long been in place, notes Dmitry Volosov. – That is, if I am a bona fide payer, I enter your phone number in the Internet bank, and the system itself searches for your data as a bank client and ensures payment. At the same time, the exact data is still not visible to me: for control, your first and middle name and the first letter of your last name, as well as the first and last digits of the card are offered. Therefore, if I really want to send you money, I call and say all of the above myself, and you only confirm the relevance of the data.”
There is another way to cheat on the Internet. “Fraudsters take advantage of people’s illiteracy and ignorance and get our money. Now there are many ways to commit card fraud. The most popular ones are related to online stores and ATMs.
“Online shopping is a very common method of fraud,” notes Milana Dadasheva, lawyer, candidate of legal sciences, deputy chairman of the Moscow Bar Association "Solidarity". – When you buy something on the Internet, you must always keep in mind that if the product is offered at a price several times lower than the market price, then something is wrong. Often, a site with “attractive” offers, be it real or virtual goods, is simply an operator between you and your bank, which filters out the payment information and redirects it to another account.
In this case, you yourself enter the payment confirmation code sent by the bank to your mobile phone, and after that the money is debited from the card, you do not receive the goods.” The lawyer notes that fighting fraudsters in this case is very difficult.
“Remember that all normal stores give you the opportunity to choose a payment option, including payment to the courier upon delivery of the goods. And moreover, a real store always indicates all its details, contacts, telephone numbers and addresses, notes Milana Dadasheva. “Also carefully read what is written in the SMS with the payment confirmation code - the bank clearly states the purchase amount and the name of the organization that issued the invoice.”
Another good option is to keep a separate card for paying online payments, which has a modest limit on funds. This will at least save you from theft of a large amount.
Another false situation is that you allegedly got a big win. Fraudsters call and tell you about such good news, explaining that to transfer money you need a card number and its data. Milana Dadasheva notes that under no circumstances should you fall for such scams and believe the millions that fall from the sky.
One-armed bandit
Nowadays, this can be called not only a slot machine, but also an ATM - if it is equipped with a fraudulent “body kit”. Fraudsters use so-called “overlays” on the keyboard and “envelopes” on the card receiver.
“If it’s a keyboard overlay, you insert the card, enter the PIN code, but the ATM doesn’t dispense money, and it doesn’t give the card back either,” explains Milana Dadasheva. – And the scammers get your PIN code and your card while you call the bank and try to find out the reasons.
The same thing happens in the version with “envelopes” - these are special covers for the card reader. They prevent the ATM from reading the card number. You enter the code, but the ATM cannot issue either money or a card. This is taken advantage of by scammers who are usually nearby - they allegedly volunteer to help you, and taking advantage of your inattention, they withdraw your money.”
Therefore, the lawyer advises, whenever you use an ATM, carefully examine the keyboard, because at first glance the overlay is no different from a real keyboard.
But perhaps the most common method of card fraud, sadly enough, is when we ourselves, voluntarily, give the fraudster all the necessary data so that he can calmly, without even receiving the card, transfer the entire amount.
How to protect yourself from deception
What to do and how to behave in order to insure yourself against deception and not become a victim of scammers? We must follow the rules of financial hygiene. “The general principle of protecting all banks from remote access of fraudsters to your account is the same: physical separation of sources from which information must be obtained to complete a transaction,” recommends Dmitry Volosov. – For example, to pay for a purchase directly on an online store website using a bank card, you need to know:
a) number and other details of the bank card located on its front side,
b) security code (the so-called CVV code) - three digits located on the back of the card,
c) additional confirmation in the form of either an SMS code, which is sent by the bank in an SMS message to the account owner’s phone number to confirm a specific payment, or a 3D Secure code, which is created by the owner independently and in advance, and is valid to confirm any online payments.
As you can see, if you have not lost a bank card with a sticker pasted on it, on which all the codes and passwords are written (and this happens!), then it is not so easy for fraudsters to gain access to your account. Therefore, all the tricks of attackers, regardless of variations and verbal embellishments, are aimed at solving one single task - to collect together the necessary and sufficient data to make a payment on your behalf, but without your knowledge.”
In addition, real employees of a real bank, reminds Dmitry Volosov, never ask you to tell them the contents of SMS messages coming from their bank to you as a client of this bank. This is strictly forbidden to them, and banks, as they say, trumpet this ban on every corner.
“Thirdly, at the level of common sense, it is obvious that your interlocutor is lying in the following cases:
– For payments from him to you (in the case of online sales), your security code is not needed, either on the back of the card or in the SMS message received; After all, it’s he who pays you, not you who pays him! Think about it: why on earth should you, a stranger, receive messages from the bank on your phone number so that a person who has nothing to do with you can pay something somewhere from his account!
– Would you buy an item without looking, transferring its full cost in advance, especially to a person you absolutely don’t know? No. So ask yourself the question, why would anyone be willing to do this? Is it because he's not really going to buy anything?
– Invite your interlocutor to change something in the sequence of actions he proposed. For example, send you money not using your bank card details, but using your phone number. Or even meet in person and pay in cash, citing the fact that you do not have a bank card. If the deal falls through immediately, they were scammers.”
If fraudsters have debited funds from your card, you can still get them back.
To do this you need:
Notify the bank about the unauthorized transaction no later than one day after receiving notification from the bank about such transaction. A quick reaction is the most important thing in such a situation.
Urgently call your bank and block the card to prevent fraudsters from withdrawing new tranches from the card. And then within 24 hours you need to write a written complaint describing what happened. Moreover, it is better to come to the bank in person - give one copy to the bank employees, and keep the second one - with the bank's visa - for yourself.
The next step is to go to the police station and write a statement about the fact of fraud. As for the bank, it considers the claim within a month, although the terms for returning money are not defined by law. However, if you yourself are to blame for becoming a victim of criminals - that is, you gave them all confidential information, passwords, codes, or lost your card, but did not inform the bank about it on time, your money will not be returned.
A plastic bank card is a universal means of payment. It provides 24/7 access to the money in your checking account. Plastic cards can be debit and credit. This article will talk about how to protect yourself from fraud.
More about cards
The plastic card itself does not contain funds. All of them are on the owner's account. A piece of plastic is just a means of accessing this money.
On the outside of the card are the owner’s details, which are necessary for the bank to identify him and make a decision on carrying out the requested transactions. To use the card, it is not necessary to be physically present. It will be enough to provide the details.
Ways to access cards
Credit card fraud can happen in one of two ways.
1. Using a stolen or counterfeit card, goods are purchased for subsequent resale.
2. Using various tricks, attackers gain access to the ATM, account details and PIN code.
An ATM or ATM (automated telling (teller) machine) is designed to simplify operations for issuing, receiving, transferring cash, paying for services and other financial transactions, without the participation of an employee of a credit institution. Moreover, you can use these services at any time of the day. Simplicity, convenience and direct access to cash have made ATMs in demand and popular among the population, and, consequently, among criminals.
Fraud with bank cards occurs through hacker attacks aimed at ATMs. This can also be done by copying information from the magnetic stripe of the card, setting traps for banknotes, which leads to the disappearance of money or the issuance of not the entire requested amount from the ATM.
A lost or stolen plastic card that falls into the hands of fraudsters may threaten its owner with the debiting of all funds in the account. The same applies to a counterfeit bank card, which is made in the name of a specific person in whose account there are funds. 
Types of card fraud
Today, it is advisable for every citizen to become familiar with this information. Credit card fraud involves many different types of tricks and deception.
Counterfeiting is the production of plastic with identical details of a real card from the real owner. This trick allows you to perform any operation. To rid itself of counterfeits, the bank installs protection against the selection of details. The development of methods for stealing money from cards has made this method less profitable. Now a simpler option is to steal details.
Phishing is a theft method by which fraudsters contact the cardholder on behalf of the bank through various communication methods (telephone, email, etc.). Their goal is to find out the owner’s confidential data. Phone phishing is a very common method of theft. So the cardholder receives a call, most often a message with information that a payment has been made from the account, the debt needs to be repaid, the card has been blocked, etc. The call is carried out automatically and is announced in an electronic voice with frightening information, without specifying information about the financial institution from which the message comes. After which, for additional information you will need to contact the operator. The same text is indicated in SMS and email messages. During a call to the specified number, the operator tries to find out confidential information, which will subsequently allow criminals to empty plastic cards. Skimming fraud allows you to copy data using a special device installed on an ATM.
Theft of card details from the servers of online stores, which are obliged not to save data about their owner. But this is often not observed. What scammers successfully use.
Sometimes unscrupulous bank employees themselves provide card information to criminals. Or, thanks to the negligence of staff, this information becomes the property of attackers.
Using special equipment, fraudsters hack the card along with the PIN code while using an ATM using special devices (micro cameras, overhead keyboards, card readers). Such equipment reads the details and entered passwords.
The use of counterfeit ATMs also allows plastic cards to be emptied. Fraud is carried out using the Lebanese Loop method. This option allows criminals to take possession of someone else's card. To do this, scammers place a piece of photographic film in the slot of the reader, which prevents the card from coming out of the slot after the operation is completed. There are criminals nearby offering to enter a PIN code, assuring that after this action the card will come out. After unsuccessful attempts, the scammers convince the owner to contact the bank the next day, when collectors and engineers will be working, and until then nothing will happen. You can safely leave the card. When the owner leaves the ATM, the scammers remove the film and card. They withdraw all funds.
Fraud with bank cards also occurs through a CNP transaction, that is, an operation performed on the Internet based on the received details. The owner himself and his bank account are not involved.
Carrying out transactions using stolen or lost cards, which occurs in the period of time between these events and the blocking of the plastic. Also, many forgetful people write down their PIN code on the card itself, on some piece of paper or in a notepad. If a bag with a wallet is stolen or lost, fraudsters become the owners of not only all the contents, but also money from the personal account.
Acquiring is a method in which the slip is repeated. Changes to its content can also be made. To do this, several slips or card prints are made on the electronic terminal on the imprinter. This is necessary in order to be able to change the transaction amount or create new payment documents after the client signs the slip.
Returning a purchase threatens the owner of the bank card to go into the red. To do this, a fraudster, hacker or employee of the retail establishment where the client made a purchase carries out a refund operation, which increases the card balance. The attacker then uses the credited funds. The merchant is recalling the return. After this, the client remains in the red. 
What to do when you notice the first signs of fraud?
Fraud using payment cards is very common. Any owner of a plastic device can become its victim. Therefore, at the first suspicion, you must immediately block the card. And at the bank you can write a statement of disagreement with the operation performed, indicating the reason, if this happened without your knowledge.
Fraud with Sberbank cards
The plastic devices of this institution are very often subject to various attacks by scammers. The most common methods of theft are SMS messages with the text that the card is blocked, and to resume operation you need to call the specified number. Thousands of Sberbank card users can receive such text notifications. Do not forget that all messages sent by Sberbank come from one number. If the notification is from another addressee, these are criminals.
PrivatBank
Fraud with PrivatBank cards is most often carried out using a skimmer. To prevent attackers from seeing the numbers through a pre-installed camera when entering your PIN code, you must cover the combination being dialed with your palm.
Another method is “emergency money”, which allows scammers to find out the received code in an SMS message to the card owner, which the account owner himself (not suspecting a trick) dictates to them over the phone. This is a common case when purchasing from online stores.
Fraud with Kukuruza cards
Criminals often use another interesting method of stealing money, which involves using the Corn card. The fraud occurs by creating an online store, supposedly from Euroset, in which you can make a purchase much cheaper than in the store itself. Plus bonuses are awarded. To make a purchase, the consultant needs to dictate his full name, date of birth, card barcode, secret word received in a text message, that is, those data that under no circumstances should be spoken. After this, money is debited from the card account, and the account holder is left without a purchase. 
Who will return the stolen money?
The return of funds stolen by fraudsters occurs after an investigation, which should establish certain facts.
1. Wasn’t it the owner himself who spent his savings and then decided to return them?
2. ATM or bank error?
3. Or is this the work of scammers?
If it is determined that the debiting of money was not due to the fault of the card owner, then the stolen amount will be reimbursed to him. The issuer is obliged to return it, which is usually in no hurry to do so. The burden of reimbursement falls on the merchant or acquirer. While participants figure out who should return the losses and who is to blame, the card owner can wait a very long time for his funds. In order not to delay the reimbursement, the regulatory body is the payment system, which creates uniform rules for all participants, terms and behavior algorithm.
Account theft investigation process
Fraud with credit cards, as well as with debit plastic devices, occurs using the same methods. This means that the investigation to determine who is responsible for the theft occurs according to a single pattern.
First, the acquirer (the owner of the ATM) presents the debited amount, which the holder disputes. The issuer (bank) requires the acquirer to provide documents. They must confirm the legality of the funds being written off. Thirty days are allotted for this. Within the established period, the acquirer provides the requested documents, and the account owner also becomes familiar with them. If the client agrees and confirms the fact of the operation, then the issue is considered resolved and the investigation is terminated. If the acquirer provided documents drawn up with violations or neglected the deadlines, then the amount is debited from his account in favor of the bank (issuer), after which the fact of the withdrawal is justified and the reason for the legality is indicated. At this stage the money will not be returned to the owner. After debiting, within forty-five days, if there is no action on the part of the acquirer, the stolen amount is credited to the account of the payment card owner.
There are situations when the owner of the ATM did not properly respond to the issuer’s request to provide documents, because he believes that neither he nor the retail outlet is to blame for the theft, and therefore are not obliged to bear responsibility for it. In this case, the investigation is carried out in a different way.
An amount similar to the stolen funds is debited from the issuer's account by the acquirer. This is documented. After which the issuer must prove its innocence to the acquirer. If this fails, the ATM owner returns the stolen amount to the cardholder.
There are cases when the acquirer’s arguments turn out to be unconvincing or do not fully prove his case. In such situations, responsibility for the theft falls on several parties to the process, and the investigation occurs through pre-arbitration settlement. To do this, the issuer submits a request for review of the case within sixty days from the date of the chargeback. In the process, the acquirer and the issuer act, who prove their case by presenting arguments and evidence. If the parties reach an agreement, the damages are paid equally; if not, the case is referred to the arbitration committee. It represents a commission for the payment system. The committee considers all the arguments and evidence of the parties and then makes a conclusion. The decision of the arbitration committee is binding. If the parties do not agree with the decision, an appeal is filed, but the amount of theft in this case must be at least five thousand dollars. 
ATM Fraud Investigation Process
Payment card fraud involving ATM transactions goes through different stages of investigation. If the ATM issuer transmits the request to the acquirer, who must check the possibility of technical failures in servicing a particular account or the presence of incorrect distribution of notes. This situation is not fraud.
If a fraudulent transaction is carried out using an ATM, for example, cash withdrawal, one issuer or together with the acquirer takes part in the investigation. The cardholder's guilt and points of compromise are being determined. For most such cases, the issuer is responsible, so he anticipates such risks in order to compensate the cardholder for the theft with compensation from the insurance company.
Banks' fight against fraud
Bank card fraud has led to many institutions having to fight criminals. But they do not always cope with this successfully.
For example, to combat skimming, the protection of the SRK+ technology from the TMD Security company is most often used. This company is a leader among creators of ATM skimming protection. The success of the technology is explained by the fact that special protection is installed from the inside, is suitable for all types of ATM and is easy to install.
The transition of ATMs to Microsoft Windows operating systems, an elementary Intel base using TCP/IP protocols, on the contrary, significantly increases the risk of attacks. For this purpose, scammers conduct targeted attacks.
Nowadays, criminals are increasingly resorting to various programs to gain access to payment cards. They are entered into ATMs. After which the program itself will collect all the necessary information about the operations. Such an ATM is no different from a normal ATM. Therefore, it is impossible for an ordinary person to recognize it.
Fraud with bank cards can be prevented by installing special security features on ATMs. They consist of an alarm on the doors of the service area and a program that provides information security. 
How to protect yourself from scammers?
Credit card or debit card fraud is very common nowadays. Therefore, measures must be taken to minimize the risk of financial theft. To do this, you must follow the following rules.
1. Do not tell anyone your PIN code, do not write it down on a card, in a notepad, etc.
2. Do not transfer your card to another person.
3. Make purchases in trusted stores.
4. Cover the keyboard with your hand while entering your personal code.
5. Do not provide card details to imaginary bank employees.
6. Do not tell the password received in a message to your phone.
7. In case of loss or loss of the card, you must have a number in your mobile phone by which it can be immediately blocked.
Currently, new types of fraud with bank cards and methods of protection against theft are being invented. Therefore, in addition to the precautions provided by the issuer, merchant or acquirer, you must comply with all security requirements yourself.
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