Security and data protection
Protect your finances against fraudsters and thieves on the internet and beyond.
3 rules for your security
Always check who you’re talking to. A scammer can pretend to be anyone.
Never share your login details, passwords or card numbers.
Be careful what you confirm or pay for – and to whom.
Happening Now
NFC (Near Field Communication) technology is commonly used for convenient contactless payments by mobile phone or smartwatch in shops. Fraudsters have now found a way to abuse this technology and steal money from you.
How does the scam work?
- You may receive a call from someone pretending to be a bank employee, a police officer or a representative of the Czech central bank. They claim that your account has been compromised and urge you to install a “security app” immediately.
- Shortly afterwards, you receive an SMS or a message via WhatsApp or a similar service with a link to download the app. The app looks convincing and often imitates the official website or branding of a bank or the Czech central bank.
- After installation, the fraudster instructs you to place your payment card against your phone and enter your card PIN into the app for “verification”.
- By placing the card against the phone, the card details are transferred to the malicious app. The fraudster then gains full access to your card and can withdraw cash from ATMs or pay in shops as if they physically had your card – without you realising it.
How to protect yourself against the scam?
- Never place your payment card against your phone at the request of someone else and never confirm anything by entering your card PIN.
- Do not install apps you do not know from links in SMS messages, WhatsApp messages or similar services.
- Always verify who you are communicating with. Fraudsters can pretend to be anyone. The police and central bank staff never contact people about a compromised bank account.
A scam that begins with a message pretending to be from a child or grandchild is once again spreading across the Czech Republic. The supposed family member asks for money, claiming to be in trouble. If you believe the message and send the money, you will lose it.
How does the scam work?
- You receive an SMS, a message via a chat app or an email from an unknown sender.
- The sender introduces himself/herself as your child or grandchild.
- In the message, he/she claims to be in trouble, says he/she is writing from a friend’s device and that he/she needs money.
- A variation of the scam involves claiming he/she has a new phone number. The conversation then continues, and in subsequent messages, he/she asks for money under a fabricated pretext.
- Along with the request, he/she sends a bank account number for you to transfer the money to.
How to protect yourself against the scam?
- Verify that you are truly communicating with your child. Contact him/her using a phone number you already know, or reach out through other channels or his/her friends.
- Do not share any sensitive information in a message unless you are 100% certain that you know who you are talking to.
- Be careful about what and to whom you are paying. Never send money to an unfamiliar bank account if you do not know exactly who it belongs to.
A message from a person close to you, a friend or an acquaintance asking for a loan is what a new scam currently spreading on the messaging app WhatsApp looks like. Be careful and do not lend money to anyone unless you have spoken to them in person.
How does the scam work?
You receive a message on WhatsApp from one of your contacts. It is not from an unknown number, as is sometimes the case with scams. The message appears to come from someone you know well and likely communicate with frequently via the app — a friend, colleague, or family member.
The person asks you for a loan and sends you a bank account number to which you should transfer the money. The conversation is likely to be free of errors and may seem very convincing.
However, once you send the money, it’s gone. In reality, none of your friends or relatives actually asked you for a loan. The messages were written by scammers who had gained access to the sender’s WhatsApp account and began messaging their contacts with a single aim — to steal their money.
How is it possible for scammers to gain access to WhatsApp accounts?
A loan request sent in the name of a known contact is only the second phase of the scam. It begins much earlier; in the first phase, the scammers are not trying to access money, but to gain access to people’s WhatsApp accounts — and through them, to their contact lists.
How does it work? A message arrives with a request to vote in a competition or survey, containing a link to cast your vote. The recipient clicks on the link and follows the instructions, which supposedly lead to successfully submitting a vote. In reality, however, this action allows the scammer to gain access to the recipient’s WhatsApp account. The scammer then begins messaging the person’s contacts in their name, asking for money.
Scams have significantly increased since the beginning of the year. Fake bankers, investment advisors, and others try to gain your trust, but their real goal is always your money. How can you effectively protect yourself?
How scammers immediately reveal themselves:
They ask you to send money for super advantageous investments, allow remote access to your computer, take out a loan, or transfer money to a "safe" account, deposit it into a "safe" ATM, or even hand it over to a courier.
"Your account has been compromised, we need to block it immediately, but to save your money, you need to send it to a safe account..."
"To effectively help you set up investments, we will need remote access to your computer..."
How to Verify You're Speaking with a Banker or an Employee of Česká spořitelna:
If someone from Česká spořitelna calls you, you should see a notification "Volá Vám Česká spořitelna" on the display of your mobile phone. This way, you know it's us and not a scammer. Didn't see it? Verify the caller through George. If the caller is from Česká spořitelna, he will comply without issue.
If the caller refuses verification, end the call. You can verify if someone from us really called you by calling through George or at the line 277 207 207.
Never disclose your sensitive information over the phone unless you are sure who you are speaking with. Communicate with your banker through George whenever possible.
Tips on how to verify companies, institutions, and state entities:
Visit the official website of the given company and verify the information that is there. Or call the company’s official number. Do not verify information using the phone number/e-mail given to you by this stranger in an SMS or dictated over the phone. Do not call back on the number from which the potential scammer called you. Although it may look like the official number of an institution it could be a fake. Always newly enter and dial the number on your phone.
Search for reviews of the company and the given phone numbers on the internet in several places and do not just rely on the website of the specific company. The more ratings you find the better.
Stop and think. Why would anyone give a lot of money for little work? Would the given institution behave this way? How would you behave in the physical world – would you give the key to your home or your savings to a person you don’t know? What exactly do you know about the counterparty?
Ask your close persons for advice.
Tip: Have you been scammed? Do you suspect an attempted scam?
Use the first aid of Česká spořitelna.
Glossary
Investment Scams Offer
Vishing
CEO Fraud
"Nigerian’ Scams"
Phishing
Ransomware
Fake Merchants
Malicious software (malware)
Fraudulent invoices/change of account number
Phishing and Payment Cards
Holiday scam tactics
Has someone scammed you?
Don’t hesitate – use our first aid support.
Contact your bank immediately – don’t hesitate, call even if you only suspect something.
Call us 24/7 via George or on 277 207 207
From abroad, call us 24/7 on +420 956 777 901
Change your banking login details in your George
- Change your security settings for Bank ID in George.
- Forward any suspicious emails, SMS messages, chats or call recordings to our dedicated mailbox: podvody@csas.cz.
- Report the fraud to the police – you’ll help protect not only yourself but others too.
- Block your payment card in George.