Withdrawing money from an account without the owner's knowledge, stealing passwords and PIN codes, making easy money on the Internet and making deposits at incredible interest rates, online casinos are all types of financial fraud. Criminals will speculate on your feelings, promise mountains of gold, disguise themselves as bank employees or government agencies in order to defraud money. How to recognize a fraudster and what to do if you still managed to deceive?
Withdrawing money from an account without the owner's knowledge, stealing passwords and PIN codes, making easy money on the Internet and making deposits at incredible interest rates, online casinos are all types of financial fraud. Criminals will speculate on your feelings, promise mountains of gold, disguise themselves as bank employees or government agencies in order to defraud money. How to recognize a fraudster and what to do if you still managed to deceive?
Anyone can become a victim of criminals, and it doesn't matter if he uses a bank card or prefers to pay in cash. Fraudsters know how to lure money online, using calls and SMS, in social networks and offices. How do they do it?
Bank card fraud
To use your card for their own purposes, fraudsters need to find out its number, owner's name, expiration date, CVC or CVV number. They can install a skimmer on an ATM (a special device that is placed on a card receiver in an ATM) and a video camera above the keyboard.
CVC or CVV number - three digits located on or next to the cardholder's signature field. Learn more about how a bank card works.
It is enough to use such an ATM once and not cover the keyboard with your hand while typing the PIN-code - and your money can be withdrawn, transferred to several accounts and cashed out. Even in a cafe or shop, your card details can be stolen. An attacker could be a merchant who gains access to your card for at least five seconds. Having photographed your card, he will be able to use it for payments on the Internet.
How not to get caught
I got robbed. What to do?
Learn more about how intruders can steal your money in everyday life.
Cyber fraud
Let's say you always withdraw money only at the bank's cash desk, and don't pay with a card at all. You feel safe. Suddenly you receive an SMS or a letter supposedly from a bank with a link, a request to call back at an unknown number or with a notification of an unexpected big win. Or they call on behalf of the bank and ask for personal data, PIN-code from the card or SMS-confirmation number. Or they write on social networks on behalf of relatives or friends who suddenly got into trouble (got into the police, hit a car, stole a bag) and ask to transfer a certain amount of money to an unknown account. In 99.9% of cases, you are dealing with scammers. Behind the links, most likely, viruses are hidden, on the other end of the line there are deception specialists who, by hook or by crook, want to deceive the data they need, and on the other side of the screen there are malefactors,
How not to get caught
There are many types of cyber fraud, each case has its own solution.
I was deceived. What to do?
Fraudulent organizations
The most famous fraudulent organization is MMM. She worked on the principle of a pyramid scheme: she promised huge interest on deposits, guaranteed profitability and paid out funds at the expense of money contributed by other depositors. The top of this pyramid could really make money, and those who stood on the steps below lost their money. But now the situation has changed, the organizers of financial pyramids are just scammers who collect money from people and disappear. It doesn't matter if you are at the top of the pyramid or at the bottom, you cannot make money on financial pyramids: if you invest money, you will certainly lose it.
Now financial pyramids are beginning to disguise themselves as sub-microfinance organizations operating on the principle of network marketing, investment and management companies, and online casinos. They declare high interest rates on deposits and no risks, guarantee income (which is prohibited on the securities market), promise to help people with bad credit history. They also ask you to deposit money immediately (preferably in cash) and bring a friend (sometimes for some kind of bonus) so that the scale of the pyramid will increase and their (and not your) profit will grow.
How to recognize a pyramid scheme?
How to protect yourself from deception
I invested and went bankrupt. What to do?
Withdraw money from circulation, and it is possible for a company to be cleaned up. The main thing is to act and not be silent.
Financial market fraud
Another type of fraudsters are pseudo-professional participants in the financial market who actively advertise their services for organizing trading on the Forex market.
You've probably heard stories of how ordinary people "off the street" made a fortune by buying and selling currency in the Forex market. Sounds tempting, but don't be in a hurry to take risks. An individual with a small start-up capital does not have access to the real Forex market, where mainly large banks sell and buy currency. In order for an ordinary person to enter Forex, one needs to conclude an agreement with an intermediary, a forex dealer, and trade through him.
Trading in the Forex market is a big risk in itself, there are no guarantees, there is more chance of losing everything than hitting the jackpot. But the danger lies in intermediaries as well: you can run into scammers who simply will not return your money. This option is likely: you are offered surprisingly low commissions, various bonuses (the amount on your account, for example, doubles). You can even conclude an agreement with a dealer via the Internet using electronic document management and seem to win a million! But you will not get a profit and you will lose your investment.
You shouldn't mess with the so-called binary options. Advertising on the Internet promises you unprecedented profits: open an account, place bets on the rise or fall of currencies or stocks over a certain period. If after the stated time your forecast turns out to be correct, you will receive an impressive percentage of profit, if you have not guessed correctly, you will lose money. In reality, today there are no platforms on the Internet where such transactions can be carried out, so all promises of easy money on binary options are fraudulent. You will simply lose your money.
How to protect yourself from deception
If you have been a victim of financial market scams.
Withdrawing money from an account without the owner's knowledge, stealing passwords and PIN codes, making easy money on the Internet and making deposits at incredible interest rates, online casinos are all types of financial fraud. Criminals will speculate on your feelings, promise mountains of gold, disguise themselves as bank employees or government agencies in order to defraud money. How to recognize a fraudster and what to do if you still managed to deceive?
Anyone can become a victim of criminals, and it doesn't matter if he uses a bank card or prefers to pay in cash. Fraudsters know how to lure money online, using calls and SMS, in social networks and offices. How do they do it?
Bank card fraud
To use your card for their own purposes, fraudsters need to find out its number, owner's name, expiration date, CVC or CVV number. They can install a skimmer on an ATM (a special device that is placed on a card receiver in an ATM) and a video camera above the keyboard.
CVC or CVV number - three digits located on or next to the cardholder's signature field. Learn more about how a bank card works.
It is enough to use such an ATM once and not cover the keyboard with your hand while typing the PIN-code - and your money can be withdrawn, transferred to several accounts and cashed out. Even in a cafe or shop, your card details can be stolen. An attacker could be a merchant who gains access to your card for at least five seconds. Having photographed your card, he will be able to use it for payments on the Internet.
How not to get caught
- Inspect the ATM before withdrawing money. There should be no foreign objects on the card capture reader, the keyboard should not wobble.
- Cover the keyboard with your hand when entering the PIN. Do this even while making payments with your card in a cafe.
- Connect your mobile bank and SMS notifications.
- If you make purchases via the Internet, do not tell anyone the secret code for confirming transactions, which you receive via SMS.
- Try to never lose sight of your card.
I got robbed. What to do?
- Call the bank (the number is always on the back of the card or on the main page of the bank's website), report a fraudulent operation and block the card.
- Request a statement of account and write a statement of disagreement with the transaction.
- Apply to the police department at your place of residence.
Learn more about how intruders can steal your money in everyday life.
Cyber fraud
Let's say you always withdraw money only at the bank's cash desk, and don't pay with a card at all. You feel safe. Suddenly you receive an SMS or a letter supposedly from a bank with a link, a request to call back at an unknown number or with a notification of an unexpected big win. Or they call on behalf of the bank and ask for personal data, PIN-code from the card or SMS-confirmation number. Or they write on social networks on behalf of relatives or friends who suddenly got into trouble (got into the police, hit a car, stole a bag) and ask to transfer a certain amount of money to an unknown account. In 99.9% of cases, you are dealing with scammers. Behind the links, most likely, viruses are hidden, on the other end of the line there are deception specialists who, by hook or by crook, want to deceive the data they need, and on the other side of the screen there are malefactors,
How not to get caught
- Do not follow unknown links, do not call back on dubious numbers. Even if the link seems to be reliable, and the phone number is correct, always check the addresses with the domain names of the official websites of the organizations, and check the numbers in the official directories.
- If you receive an SMS about the transfer of funds (and the message looks like a familiar bank notification), and then an allegedly muddler calls who mistakenly credited you with money and asks for a refund, do not rush to return anything. This situation is more like a fraudulent scheme: most likely, the money did not come, the SMS was not from your bank, but the attacker called you. Check your account status, order an online bank statement, or call the bank before transferring money to someone.
- If you receive a notification "Confirm purchase" and a code, and then a call is heard again from an "absent-minded" person who says that he mistakenly indicated your phone number and asks to dictate the code to him, in no case do this. Scammers are trying to deceive you with a code in order to write off money from your account or subscribe you to an unnecessary paid service.
- Do not give your personal data to anyone, let alone passwords and codes. Bank employees do not need them, and fraudsters will open access to your money.
- Do not store map data on a computer or smartphone.
- Check the information. If you are told that you won something or that money was accidentally debited from your card and you need to give your data to stop the operation, end the conversation and call the bank at the phone number indicated on the back of your card.
- If you are told that relatives or friends are in trouble, try to contact them directly.
- Install an antivirus on your computer - both yourself and your relatives.
- Explain these simple rules to older relatives and teenagers.
There are many types of cyber fraud, each case has its own solution.
I was deceived. What to do?
- Call the bank (the number is always on the back of the card or on the main page of the bank's website), report a fraudulent operation and block the card.
- Apply to the police department at your place of residence.
Fraudulent organizations
The most famous fraudulent organization is MMM. She worked on the principle of a pyramid scheme: she promised huge interest on deposits, guaranteed profitability and paid out funds at the expense of money contributed by other depositors. The top of this pyramid could really make money, and those who stood on the steps below lost their money. But now the situation has changed, the organizers of financial pyramids are just scammers who collect money from people and disappear. It doesn't matter if you are at the top of the pyramid or at the bottom, you cannot make money on financial pyramids: if you invest money, you will certainly lose it.
Now financial pyramids are beginning to disguise themselves as sub-microfinance organizations operating on the principle of network marketing, investment and management companies, and online casinos. They declare high interest rates on deposits and no risks, guarantee income (which is prohibited on the securities market), promise to help people with bad credit history. They also ask you to deposit money immediately (preferably in cash) and bring a friend (sometimes for some kind of bonus) so that the scale of the pyramid will increase and their (and not your) profit will grow.
How to recognize a pyramid scheme?
How to protect yourself from deception
- The financial institution must be licensed or in the register of the Bank. Check the Directory of Credit Institutions and the Directory of Financial Market Participants.
- Check the company in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities of the Federal Tax Service.
- Request samples of contracts, copies of documents. If possible, consult a lawyer.
I invested and went bankrupt. What to do?
- Make a claim and send it to the company by registered mail with notification. Or take it personally and make sure it's registered. Take a receipt so the company doesn't accidentally lose your letter.
- If the company refuses to return the money, then collect all the documents (from contracts to extracts) and contact the law enforcement agencies with a statement.
- Contact a lawyer and try to find other victims of the scam.
Withdraw money from circulation, and it is possible for a company to be cleaned up. The main thing is to act and not be silent.
Financial market fraud
Another type of fraudsters are pseudo-professional participants in the financial market who actively advertise their services for organizing trading on the Forex market.
You've probably heard stories of how ordinary people "off the street" made a fortune by buying and selling currency in the Forex market. Sounds tempting, but don't be in a hurry to take risks. An individual with a small start-up capital does not have access to the real Forex market, where mainly large banks sell and buy currency. In order for an ordinary person to enter Forex, one needs to conclude an agreement with an intermediary, a forex dealer, and trade through him.
Trading in the Forex market is a big risk in itself, there are no guarantees, there is more chance of losing everything than hitting the jackpot. But the danger lies in intermediaries as well: you can run into scammers who simply will not return your money. This option is likely: you are offered surprisingly low commissions, various bonuses (the amount on your account, for example, doubles). You can even conclude an agreement with a dealer via the Internet using electronic document management and seem to win a million! But you will not get a profit and you will lose your investment.
You shouldn't mess with the so-called binary options. Advertising on the Internet promises you unprecedented profits: open an account, place bets on the rise or fall of currencies or stocks over a certain period. If after the stated time your forecast turns out to be correct, you will receive an impressive percentage of profit, if you have not guessed correctly, you will lose money. In reality, today there are no platforms on the Internet where such transactions can be carried out, so all promises of easy money on binary options are fraudulent. You will simply lose your money.
How to protect yourself from deception
- If you nevertheless decide to enter the Forex market, carefully study the law and the "Basic standard of transactions in the financial market when carrying out the activities of a forex dealer".
- Check the forex dealer you are going to work with - he must have a license. You can clarify whether it exists in the directory of financial market participants.
- If the company is registered not in your country, but in offshore zones, be wary: most likely, you are in front of scammers.
- Warn elderly relatives that aggressive advertising of quick money on the Internet will in fact turn into not a profit, but a loss of money.
- Better yet, don't risk it, try to start your journey as an investor on the stock exchange.
If you have been a victim of financial market scams.
- Collect all the documents that you have: contracts concluded with a fraudulent intermediary, money transfer checks, take screenshots from the site - and go to the police to write a statement.
- Notify the Bank, all complaints are considered.
