Most of us in 2021 know that scammers, fraudsters and cheaters of all sorts can come at you at every corner, on every platform imaginable.
A sad truth indeed, however, it gives you a sense of reassurance when your bank notifies you of possible fraud coming your way.
I have recently been informed that scammers claiming to be employees of my bank, Erste Bank Hungary, are calling customers claiming to have blocked access to debit cards due to suspicious activity, and to lift that block, they ask for confidential debit card information.
I was advised on a few things you should always keep in mind:
- Do not give out confidential information ever!
- Do not allow strangers access (remote or direct) to your phone or computer.
- In case of contact like this, do not allow anyone to install any kind of software on your device.
- Your bank will never, in any way (email, text, phone, etc.) ask for all of your debit card information, your passwords, or for you to install any software on your computer.
The voice call is still the most preferred way to connect all over the world, and it is shocking to see how many of the calls received by an individual are spam or fraud calls. I, an average person, barely receive any calls so naturally, nuisance ones stand out even more.
The Erste Bank scam is only a small fish in an ocean of frauds, schemes, and spoofing.
With the challenges of the pandemic, the need to connect has risen and so has voice traffic. Needless to say, this dragged along with it hackers and spammers taking advantage of the vulnerable position the entire planet finds itself in. It’s more important than ever to keep ourselves updated and to be on the lookout for potentially malicious calls. But the decision that has to be made every time the phone rings is daunting.
On the other end of this global issue are businesses, for whom it is essential to protect the reputation of their calls. Scammers, using tactics like neighbor spoofing or caller ID spoofing, can damage the confidence of customers of a business to an irreparable extent without a business even realizing what had happened.
For the most recent and an in-depth look at the current situation, I highly recommend taking a look at our 2021 State of The Call report.
While the numbers are overwhelming, thankfully, governments, businesses as well as carriers are taking action.
Stay safe from scammers by using the Hiya app on your personal phone and keep your customers safe with Hiya Connect for your business numbers.
