Another person who fell victim to fraudsters has reported the incident to the District Police Headquarters in Bolesławiec. The unit: – In this case, the “bank employee” method was used.
A Bolesławiec resident was manipulated during a telephone conversation; she believed the fraudster that her money was at risk. The result? She lost nearly PLN 30,000.
How do the criminals operate?
Using the “bank employee” method, the perpetrators are able to take over access to a bank account and the funds held in it. The police headquarters: – Criminals do not need specialist software to steal data or money; unfortunately, victims themselves often help them commit the crime. Through manipulation, they persuade victims to take specific actions.
What does this look like in practice?
The fraudster calls the victim, posing as a bank consultant, and informs her about suspicious money transfers in her account. To prevent the alleged theft, the “consultant” recommends installing an application that enables him to remotely perform actions on the caller’s smartphone or computer.
In this way, the fraudster gains access to the device and therefore to the account, from which he makes transfers and withdraws all the funds held in it.
After carrying out the operation, the fake consultant informs the victim that the account has been temporarily blocked and that the funds held in it, because of the threat, will be transferred to a substitute account. The stolen funds most often go to the bank accounts of currency exchange offices, from where the fraudsters withdraw them in cash. It also often happens that after taking control of an account, the perpetrator takes out a so-called instant loan.
The officers: – We urge you to exercise particular caution! Bank employees never ask customers to provide their login, account password or, especially, PESEL number. Nor do they recommend installing applications that enable them to carry out transactions on a customer’s account.