The number of scams is increasing. Do you know how to identify scammers?

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.

Fake Banker:

"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..."

Fake Investment Advisor:

"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.