Phishing and bank frauds: How to shield your accounts and cards
💡 Quick Tip
Nobody is safe from cybercriminals. Learn to identify sophisticated phishing attacks (fake SMS and emails) and configure your bank cards' security to prevent hackers from emptying your savings in a moment of distraction.
The modern heist uses no masks
Today, criminals don't rob banks with guns; they trick you into opening the vault yourself. Phishing (and SMS Smishing) involves impersonating your bank or a delivery company to steal passwords and banking data.
How the scam works (Modus Operandi)
You receive an urgent SMS supposedly from your bank: "Unauthorized access detected. Click here to cancel the block."
The link takes you to a webpage identical to your bank's. Nervous, you enter your ID, password, and the SMS code sent to your phone. By doing this, you are not canceling a block; you are authorizing a transfer hackers are making right then to a foreign account. The money vanishes in seconds.
3 Golden rules to shield yourself
- Banks NEVER ask for codes via SMS or phone: No legitimate bank will ask for your full password or one-time codes. If they ask, it is a 100% scam.
- Do not click urgent links: If you get a bank alert, close the message. Open the official bank App manually. If there is a real issue, an official alert will appear inside your private App area.
- Turn off your cards: Go to your bank app and configure card security. Turn off "online purchases" and "foreign purchases" until the exact moment you buy something. Once done, turn them off again. Even if cloned, the card will be useless to thieves.
📊 Practical Example
Practical example with real numbers
You have €2,500 in your main checking account linked to your card.
You receive a fake Post Office SMS: "Your package is held by customs, pay €1.50 here to release it."
You fall for it and enter your card details. Criminals do not charge €1.50; they use your data to make massive online purchases abroad, trying to drain the €2,500.
- If unprotected: The bank approves the charges. A long, stressful police report process begins to try recovering the money (which fails if you provided the SMS code yourself).
- If your card was "turned off": The transaction is immediately blocked by the App because "online purchases" were disabled. Not a single cent is stolen. You just request a new plastic card as a precaution.
