Most of you already know how phishing works. And how important it is not to confirm payments that you have not entered yourself. Scammers are becoming more sophisticated and are beginning to combine scamming techniques. What starts out as a familiar phishing scam may end up being something else entirely. You don’t even have to confirm the payment, just fill in the details into the scam site, and then believe the person pretending to be helping you over the phone. A moment of inattention and panic can end up costing you a lot of money.

How does the scamming combination work?

It can all start with phishing:

• You’ll get a message on your mobile phone or in your email telling you that you can collect your state benefits or pay for transport, etc. The report looks very credible, if only because it looks as if it was sent by a credible institution (the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Czech Social Security Agency, the Transport Company, and others).
• The link from the message leads to a scam page that looks like a login page for Bank ID or your internet banking. Scammers are clever, so you won’t know the difference. By filling in your details and confirming them, you give them access to your George.

Next enters the fake banker:

• At that moment you get a call from a scammer who introduces themselves as a bank representative. They will tell you that you have clicked on a fraudulent page, filled in your details, and are now known by the scammers. And that your finances are now at risk.
• The caller will try to convince you to save your money by quickly sending it to a “safe” account. Naturally, that will be the scammer’s account.

How can you protect yourself?

1. Check who you are communicating with.
2. Check the URL links where you want to fill in any data.
3. Do not share your account access and passwords or card numbers with anyone.
4. Be careful what you confirm and to whom.