2024-03-29 12:55:15
According to Zita Radzevičiūtė, head of the Debt Collection Department at General Financing Bank, the mistake that is often made by residents deceived by financial fraudsters is their desire to get rich quickly and without any effort.
“For example, quite recently, a client approached our bank asking for a consumer loan. When she was asked for what purpose, a letter-offer from a supposed foreign bank was submitted, which requested an advance transfer of several thousand euros, for which a “bonus” ten times larger would allegedly be paid.
The client who intended to borrow for this purpose did not pay attention to the fact that half of this “document” was written in Russian, and the other part in English, and according to the fictitious stamp, such an alleged financial institution could not even theoretically exist. Unfortunately, after refusing to grant credit and trying to explain that they wanted to deceive her, the client still held the opinion that she was not given the opportunity to get rich”, – the head of the bank’s Debt Collection Department shared examples of the gullibility of some residents.
You need to be able to tell yourself “stop”
According to Z. Radzevičiūtė, credit institutions have encountered the above-mentioned example of fraud, when customers borrow from the bank and give the borrowed money to alleged investors, quite often recently. This type of fraud is characterized by the fact that the return on investment is portrayed as incredibly high, while the risk is presented as very low.
“Usually, persons pretending to be investment advisors pressure to make a quick decision and transfer money, because the offer is supposedly only for a “specific person” and is valid for a short time, so the person is not given time to think. When you hear a tempting offer, you need to say “stop” to yourself – take your time and calmly assess the situation. You need to be skeptical of any promises of “quick profits.” Also, never take the advice of a stranger to make a hasty investment. And if you’re pressured into making a quick investment decision, it’s likely a potential scam. Investment services in Lithuania can only be provided with a license, you can check whether a specific company has the necessary license on the website of the Bank of Lithuania”, notes the financial expert.
According to Z.Radzevičiūtė, another common case of fraud encountered in the bank is when fraudsters take advantage of financially illiterate persons who borrow money in their own name to purchase a product, but in the end such a person is left without the product and with the obligation to pay the loan.
“After such an initial assessment of the borrower, he usually meets the requirements for obtaining a loan, he also comes to sign the contract himself, but later it turns out that he was persuaded to borrow money for a reward by an acquaintance who promised to pay monthly installments for him, but did not keep his promise. In this case, the borrower is left without the purchased product and with financial losses. It is important to know that no matter what the verbal agreements are, the full legal responsibility for the execution of the loan rests with the signatory of the loan agreement, including the obligation to pay installments,” reminds Z. Radzevičiūtė.
The bank never asks for login details
According to the interlocutor, financial fraud based on data extortion has also been spreading recently, when fraudsters e-mail may direct residents to click on a link to malware or fraudulent websites via mail or SMS.
“When luring data, fraudsters usually ask to confirm some urgent operation in the Internet bank, for example, a refund, to enter usernames, passwords or bank card details. in SMS message or e-mail the letter contains a link that, when clicked, takes you to a page that at first glance does not differ from the bank’s website or online banking, logos, colors and designs are usually similar to those used by that bank. In this case, it is important to know that the bank will never ask for personal passwords or codes in this way,” the expert emphasizes.
Z.Radzevičiūtė advises that upon receiving such a letter, always carefully evaluate whether there are no logical and grammatical errors in the text, what kind of link is sent.
“If there is even the slightest suspicion after receiving an unusual message – do not click on the link and do not enter your data, do not download any attachments, especially if you received them unexpectedly. In this case, contact the bank’s customer service specialists and check the information again. If you think you have been scammed and have given money to a fraudster, inform your bank as soon as possible and also report the incident to the police. Never contact the institutions or their representatives using the contacts given by the scammers, you will always find the official contacts on the websites of the institutions,” the financial expert points out.
According to the head of the Bank’s Debt Collection Department, if you have been victimized by fraudsters, it is important to report it to the police and the bank, as this may not only help you recover money, but it will also help the institutions to get a more complete picture of the mindset of fraud, the prevailing trends and promptly search for the most appropriate ways to stop it.
2024-03-29 12:55:15