Attention: This is how I protect my bank details from brazen fraudsters!

Attention: This is how I protect my bank details from brazen fraudsters!

In Austria, banks urgently warn of the increase in online fraud mesh, including in particular phishing. According to 5min Use fraudsters sophisticated methods to get sensitive bank details. The perpetrators use various communication channels, including email, WhatsApp and SMS. In addition, many are as supposed bank employees or police officers to gain the trust of potential victims.

It is particularly alarming that both younger and older people are affected. To protect yourself, it is crucial to consider some basic measures. Activation codes or push tans should never be passed on to third parties. Entering online banking information or card data at request by SMS should be strictly avoided. It is also important not to accept push-tan messages from strangers and to carefully check all order data.

prevention and reaction in suspicion of fraud

whether in the event of suspected fraud or a direct incident is required quickly. In such cases, contact should be made with the bank to block the card immediately. It is also advisable to report the incident to the police to ensure a documentation of the event. Banks never ask for passwords or pin codes, which represents another indication of possible fraud attempts.

The topic is contextualized by the current cyber security monitor 2024 of the BSI, which was published on June 11, 2024. The study shows that 24 % of Germans were already victims of cybercrime. Nevertheless, more than half of the respondents estimate their future risk as low, which according to bsi . In the case of 16- to 22-year-olds in particular, the proportion of unchecked increased by 16 percentage points, so that 68 % of this age group now considered their risk as low.

Despite the high number of victims, the respondents only take 3.9 protective measures against cybercrime, with programs such as antivirus software and secure passwords that are most frequently mentioned. The decline in the use of protective measures is alarming compared to the previous year. In addition, 29 % of those surveyed stated that they see a high level of security as a reason for the non -use of further protective measures, which further increases the risk of cyber attacks.

The study also showed that 44 % of the cyber crime victims have become victims of online fraud over the past 12 months. 23 % reported fraud attempts in online shopping, while 15 % were affected by online banking. 28 % of the 16- to 22 year olds were cheated on online banking. The most common consequences of Internet fraud are a loss of trust in online services and financial damage, which illustrates the scope of the problem.

The further development in cybercrime remains to be seen, but the responsibility for self -protection is primarily with users. It is essential that these will remain vigilant and take the recommended protective measures seriously to protect themselves from the lucrative business of online fraudsters.