Selling old equipment on the classifieds website, John almost lost money on her account. The fraudster, disguised as a buyer, tried to find out from the girl not only the bank card number, but also its validity period, ostensibly to transfer payment for the goods.
Unlike most swindlers, the cunning man was not interested in the three secret numbers on the back of the card. And so Catherine almost believed him, but insisted that the card number was enough for the transfer. And it saved her savings.
We figure out which details can be communicated to others, and which cannot, and why.
What bank data is it safe to call outsiders?
It all depends on why you ask them:
To transfer money to you
In this case, you can safely inform the sender:
For example, criminals call on behalf of the "bank security" or even the "police investigation department", address by name and patronymic and call the card number. This is how they try to instill confidence and then convince them to transfer the money to a “safe” - actually a fraudulent - account.
Therefore, no information about your accounts and cards should be passed on to others unnecessarily. And in any case, do not publish your personal data and bank details in the public domain, for example, in social networks. After all, scammers study them carefully.
To clarify the situation with the bank
Suppose you suddenly received money on your card, and you do not know who sent it to you and why. Trying to understand the situation, you call the bank.
First, the employee must make sure that it is really you, and not a fraud. To do this, he will ask your name, passport number, and can also specify:
But be careful if you are suddenly called from the bank and asked to clarify confidential information. Do not lose your vigilance: even when a familiar short bank number is displayed on your phone, it may turn out to be a substitute. It's always best to hang up, dial the hotline yourself, and clear up the situation.
What bank details should not be disclosed to anyone and why?
There is information that bank employees never ask - if someone tries to get it out of you, you are definitely faced with scammers. It is important to always keep secret:
Be vigilant, do not step on someone else's rake!
If you gave confidential information to the criminals and lost money, the bank will not compensate you for anything. Even an unconscious "help" to fraudsters is considered a violation of the rules for the safe use of the card.
On what grounds you can immediately expose a swindler, you will learn from the text "How to quickly recognize a swindler".
What to do if you have already reported confidential information to fraudsters?
Block the card urgently: this can be done quickly in the bank's mobile application or by calling the hotline. So you will cut off access to the money in the account for fraudsters, and, perhaps, they will not have time to steal all your savings.
If the attackers obtained a login and password from your personal account on the bank's website, ask the hotline operator to immediately disable remote access to the account. Otherwise, fraudsters will be able not only to appropriate all your savings, but also to issue a loan in your name.
“I needed a large loan. I applied to several banks. One was refused almost immediately, I was waiting for two more to decide. Three days later, a man called and introduced himself as an employee of one of these banks. I confirmed that I had applied to his bank for a loan. The employee asked if I had their card. It seems like - to approve the loan, you need to enter her details in my application ... "
Be vigilant, do not step on someone else's rake!
Then the card will need to be reissued - then its details will change, and the previous ones, known to criminals, will become invalid. Create a new username and password for the online bank.
Just in case, ask for your credit history - make sure that scammers have not taken out loans in your name.
For more information on how to act if cybercriminals still managed to withdraw savings from your accounts, see the article "What to do if money was stolen from a bank card".
The article "Social engineering: why people give money to fraudsters" will help to figure out what schemes are used by fraudsters to entice other people's data and savings. More stories can be found in the fraud section.
Unlike most swindlers, the cunning man was not interested in the three secret numbers on the back of the card. And so Catherine almost believed him, but insisted that the card number was enough for the transfer. And it saved her savings.
We figure out which details can be communicated to others, and which cannot, and why.
What bank data is it safe to call outsiders?
It all depends on why you ask them:
To transfer money to you
In this case, you can safely inform the sender:
- The name of the bank and the phone number to which the account is linked. In most cases, this data is sufficient for translation. They will allow another person to instantly transfer money to you, for example, through the Fast Payment System.
- Bank card number. It is located on its obverse and usually consists of 16 numbers. Knowing this number, a person will be able to send you money through the application of another bank, terminal or ATM. It is safe to call the card number if you do not provide other details in addition.
- Current account number. It consists of 20 digits. You can find it in your online bank or request it from a bank branch using your passport. Organizations prefer transfers by account number - for example, when they pay for freelance work. Additionally, they request the details of the beneficiary's bank - BIC, correspondent account - they can also be called without risk to yourself, because this data is publicly available and does not open access to your savings.
For example, criminals call on behalf of the "bank security" or even the "police investigation department", address by name and patronymic and call the card number. This is how they try to instill confidence and then convince them to transfer the money to a “safe” - actually a fraudulent - account.
Therefore, no information about your accounts and cards should be passed on to others unnecessarily. And in any case, do not publish your personal data and bank details in the public domain, for example, in social networks. After all, scammers study them carefully.
To clarify the situation with the bank
Suppose you suddenly received money on your card, and you do not know who sent it to you and why. Trying to understand the situation, you call the bank.
First, the employee must make sure that it is really you, and not a fraud. To do this, he will ask your name, passport number, and can also specify:
- The last four digits of the card number. Using them, he will quickly find her in the system in order to understand the situation. Be careful: you need to dictate exactly the last digits of the long number on the front side of the card.
- Codeword. You indicate it when you sign an agreement with the bank.
But be careful if you are suddenly called from the bank and asked to clarify confidential information. Do not lose your vigilance: even when a familiar short bank number is displayed on your phone, it may turn out to be a substitute. It's always best to hang up, dial the hotline yourself, and clear up the situation.
What bank details should not be disclosed to anyone and why?
There is information that bank employees never ask - if someone tries to get it out of you, you are definitely faced with scammers. It is important to always keep secret:
- Three numbers from the back of the card. CVV (Card Verification Value) or CVC (Card Validation Code) code. These three numbers should only be known to you. Usually they need to be entered when paying for purchases on the Internet. Tell these numbers to someone along with the card details - in fact, give the green light to scammers who will happily shop at your expense.
- Passwords and codes from bank notifications. The bank sends out secret one-time codes and passwords to confirm your transactions or enter your personal account. This is additional protection of your accounts from fraudsters. Telling an outsider these numbers is like giving a thief the keys to the apartment where the money is.
Be vigilant, do not step on someone else's rake!
- Card expiry date. Sometimes for online purchases with a card, you do not need a CVV / CVC code, or passwords and codes from SMS and push notifications from the bank - the card number and its validity period are enough. Therefore, it also cannot be called to anyone. Real bank employees can check it themselves.
- PIN-code of the card. Keep it a secret, do not write on the card or keep it nearby. If a fraudster steals it, then it will not be difficult for him to withdraw all the money from the account.
If you gave confidential information to the criminals and lost money, the bank will not compensate you for anything. Even an unconscious "help" to fraudsters is considered a violation of the rules for the safe use of the card.
On what grounds you can immediately expose a swindler, you will learn from the text "How to quickly recognize a swindler".
What to do if you have already reported confidential information to fraudsters?
Block the card urgently: this can be done quickly in the bank's mobile application or by calling the hotline. So you will cut off access to the money in the account for fraudsters, and, perhaps, they will not have time to steal all your savings.
If the attackers obtained a login and password from your personal account on the bank's website, ask the hotline operator to immediately disable remote access to the account. Otherwise, fraudsters will be able not only to appropriate all your savings, but also to issue a loan in your name.
“I needed a large loan. I applied to several banks. One was refused almost immediately, I was waiting for two more to decide. Three days later, a man called and introduced himself as an employee of one of these banks. I confirmed that I had applied to his bank for a loan. The employee asked if I had their card. It seems like - to approve the loan, you need to enter her details in my application ... "
Be vigilant, do not step on someone else's rake!
Then the card will need to be reissued - then its details will change, and the previous ones, known to criminals, will become invalid. Create a new username and password for the online bank.
Just in case, ask for your credit history - make sure that scammers have not taken out loans in your name.
For more information on how to act if cybercriminals still managed to withdraw savings from your accounts, see the article "What to do if money was stolen from a bank card".
The article "Social engineering: why people give money to fraudsters" will help to figure out what schemes are used by fraudsters to entice other people's data and savings. More stories can be found in the fraud section.
