Ten ways to steal money from a plastic card

Methods of deception can be divided into two types: manipulation with an ATM and psychological influence. The second, in turn, is still popular even when a person interacts with an ATM - almost a quarter (22.5%) of transactions without customer consent were carried out using social engineering. Despite the fact that the risk of money theft via the Internet and applications is much higher (this is due to the growth of non-cash payments and greater opportunities for the use of hacking methods), bank terminals are often the target of gaining access to your finances. Here are 5 real ways to steal money from ATMs.

A very convincing call from the bank

The story itself is as old as the world of online banking. They call you supposedly from a financial institution and, under any pretext, they try to find out the password from SMS, the code on the back of the card, or force you to take actions that will one way or another lead to debiting funds from your account. But every year thieves hone their skills.

If earlier the calculation was made mainly on naive and financially illiterate people, now a critical card holder can also become a victim.

For example, until recently one of the recommendations was to check what number they are calling from. The bank's real contacts are indicated directly on the card. Now attackers have learned how to make the necessary numbers appear on the screen of your smartphone. To make it more believable, thieves create the atmosphere of a call center with its characteristic noise to lull your vigilance. Sometimes a show plays out: you shouldn’t tell the bank employees the code, so tell it to the bot, which will talk to you in a metallic voice.

Finally, the icing on the cake is the awareness of attackers. Previously, they could act rudely, knowing nothing about the person and pulling out information during the conversation. Now criminals have at their disposal huge databases of data leaked onto the Internet. At the other end of the line they may know more about you than your own mother.

So stop thinking of telephone scammers as narrow-minded people who just call everyone at random in case someone takes the bait. Almost anyone can become their victim, especially if they are caught by surprise.

How to resist

The schemes are new, but the recipes are still the same. Do not tell anyone confidential information, even if you are sure that they are calling from the bank. Because “never” means “never”, without any conventions. To be sure, in any unclear situation, when calling from a financial institution, hang up and call back yourself.

How to protect your money?

To protect your finances, be vigilant during the process of using an ATM and remember a few rules:

• Do not use a suspicious ATM
• Do not use an ATM where there are suspicious people standing next to it.
• If difficulties arise, contact the bank employees immediately and do not agree to re-enter your PIN code
• Under no circumstances touch other people's cards and do not let them touch yours.
• The bank will never force you to go to the ATM, so do not make any transactions with telephone support from the “employee”
• Never give your personal information to anyone, if you get a call from the bank - call back yourself

Have you or your friends ever experienced ATM fraud? Share in the comments.

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Special application

This method is designed for gullible people who have memorized that no one needs to tell codes and passwords, but do not really understand how everything works. They get a call supposedly from the bank, but are not asked to say anything. On the contrary, they are advised to install an application that will protect them from unauthorized transfers of funds.

We are talking about services that provide remote access to the device, for example Teamviewer and the like. True, here you need to say the ID, and not the code from the SMS, which is what victims are made for. With the help of such applications, they gain access to smartphones and computers. Losing money is not the only thing that can follow. For example, discovering intimate photos on the Internet is also very unpleasant.

How to resist

Install applications only if you clearly know what it is and why it is needed. Convince your less tech-savvy relatives not to download anything at all without your supervision.

Card trap

The second mechanical method of fraud can be called “trapping” using photographic film or special envelopes. Attackers insert a photographic film (or envelope) into the card reader in such a way that the card can be inserted, but not removed. After the card gets stuck in the ATM, the fraudster nearby advises the victim to enter the PIN code again under the pretext that this happened to him too. Then, after an unsuccessful attempt to pull out the card by entering a password, the attacker recommends contacting the bank directly, and he himself pulls out the card and withdraws money from it without any problems, because he already knows the PIN code.

Call a friend

Fast payments by phone number is a very convenient thing. Just enter a few numbers and the money will go to the recipient. Some banks allow transfers via SMS, and this creates risks.

We are accustomed to thinking that money is stolen by mysterious, insidious strangers. But the criminal may be closer than he seems. Imagine you meet a former classmate on the street. He is glad to meet you, says that his phone is dead and asks to call. You, of course, agree (it’s a pity, or something) and unlock the device. Your friend leaves and five minutes later returns your phone. And then you discover that there is less money in your bank account. This is because the person transferred money to himself via SMS, immediately received a transaction confirmation code, and then deleted all messages.

This may not necessarily be an acquaintance. In Saratov, police detained violators and took away their phones, allegedly for checking. And then they cleaned them out. Two former police officers accused of fraudulently defrauding their accounts by sending SMS to a short number will appear in court.

How to resist

The smartphone is full of confidential information, so think of it like a hairbrush: generally a tool for personal use, but in a pinch it can be shared with someone who has passed the lice test. To help out a close friend, you can independently send an SMS to the number that he dictates, or ask him to call in front of you.

When selling things online

In this case, it is not money that is stolen, but property. The scammer calls under the guise of a buyer, makes an appointment, and agrees to buy the item. But he offers to pay not in cash, but to transfer money from card to card, which he does in the presence of the seller. After the goods are in his hands, he calls the bank and cancels the operation - he rubs it into the employees that he “transferred by mistake”, “they were lured out by scammers” and other bullshit.

Availability of divorce – 40%. Some banks easily cancel transactions, most require proof.

Fake receipts

QR codes are often placed on utility bills, tax notices and other documents. This is convenient: you can scan the paper using your smartphone and pay the bill immediately. The catch is that the document could have been printed and placed in the mailbox by criminals, so that the money would flow to them. It is especially sad that the losses will not be limited to this. While you regularly pay fictitious bills and lose money, your debts to the management company or the state are growing. And they will have to be paid one way or another.

Important: it’s not just the codes on the document that are dangerous. You may enter incorrect details yourself if you do not double-check the data.

How to resist

Check the data at each stage of payment to make sure that it is the correct paperwork and your money goes exactly where it should.

When downloading a virus application

Scenario for Android smartphone owners. The rat application takes control of SMS messages and sends commands to the bank number (for example, 900 for Sber). Using commands, you can remotely and relatively safely for a swindler scatter the lava on the victim’s account across several cards.

Availability of divorce – 60%. Unfortunately, Google Play is a garbage dump. Plus, people have some kind of unhealthy urge to download and install all sorts of crap through .apk files, bypassing the service.

Pressure at the ATM

You are standing in line at an ATM. The person in front of you “forgets” to pick up the card, and the machine gives it to you. You pick it up, and here the owner returns. He accuses you of withdrawing money from the card. There will definitely be an accomplice witness who will confirm that he is right. To avoid conflict, you must return the stated amount.

There is no place for clever fraud in this scheme. This is outright extortion, seasoned with threats and accusations. Approximately the same scheme applies to automatic setups. The hope is that you will get scared and give up the money.

How to resist

Remember that the area next to the ATM is equipped with video cameras that will make it clear exactly what is happening. Call the police, ask passers-by to do this, try to attract the attention of the bank security service.

You are being filmed by a hidden camera

This method refers to a mechanical type of fraud, when, using external devices installed on the ATM, attackers learn your personal data. In particular, you don’t need much at all - a skimmer and an overlay or a video camera. A skimmer is a compact, portable device that attaches to an ATM and reads data from the magnetic stripe of the card. In this case, the overlay is installed on the PIN pad and “remembers” your input of the password for the card. The latter “device” is often replaced with a miniature video camera, which is attached above the PIN pad using tape or glue. It is important to know that the ATM also has legal cameras that are installed next to the card reader and are designed so that the acquiring bank can control the process of interaction with the equipment.

How scammers steal money through Google Play apps on Android

How scammers steal money from cards and bank accounts

People are too gullible

Tinkoff Bank experts carried out titanic work. Based on data from more than 400 thousand bank clients who became objects of interest from fraudsters in the top 30 Russian banks, they identified the most common fraud schemes.

Here's what we found out. The bulk of thefts (70%) are due to so-called social engineering - that is, victims independently transfer money to scammers (41% of cases) or provide attackers with their card details and codes from SMS messages (29% of cases). Over the past two years, the share of such fraud has almost doubled.

Have people become more trusting? Rather, scammers have become more cunning and are using more and more new schemes of psychological pressure, notes Alexey Baklanov, head of the anti-fraud and claims department at Tinkoff . But banks, in turn, are constantly introducing new technologies and learning to quickly respond to new schemes. That is why the average amount of fraud compared to last year decreased at least slightly - by 13%, and amounted to 9,300 rubles.

How else do they steal? Friends or relatives, using trust, can obtain card details of the future victim or access to smartphones, where many people store all the information about their accounts and have the opportunity to quickly withdraw money. There are 12% of them. By the way, having gained access to a smartphone, you can now pay for purchases in the store. There are also quite a few such cases of fraud - 11%.

Where do scammers find victims?

It’s very easy - they call by phone, this scheme is used in 83% of cases. It’s amazing, but people, without even seeing the scammer, tell him their card details and SMS codes. A less common story is when such simpletons are found in instant messengers, through emails, social networks and other channels for advanced people - such cases are 13% of all.

Telephone fraud is more profitable - the average bill for this scheme is 34 thousand rubles. Those who cheat on the Internet have a smaller jackpot - an average of 16 thousand rubles.

Yes, it’s impossible to find out the card number and code sent to the phone directly from Internet users. But they very easily believe in promises of work, a dust-free business or unprecedented investments.

What scammers tell their victims

A very common legend is that they are allegedly calling from the bank’s security service. They say that an attempt has been recorded to write off money from the account, they find out the card details and confirmation codes and write off the money from the account of the gullible victim. If they manage to adapt to the bank where the victim keeps the money, they are lucky. No, it’s not a problem either, they’ll get out of it: they’ll introduce themselves as employees of another well-known bank. Moreover, this scheme is more workable - in 2020 it was used in 42% of cases. They call, they say, as part of an interaction or they will come up with something else.

This is not the first year that the replacement of well-known sites with duplicate sites has been successful. To enhance confidence, victims receive a form very similar to the real one. The form is more trustworthy. And the money goes through a false electronic gateway into the pockets of scammers. This method accounts for more than half of the cases of voluntary payments to scammers.

There are also stories about a person being lucky: he won the lottery or something else. The prize is already being delivered to you, but you urgently need to pay a commission. People believe.

Swindlers continue to profit from our people’s desire for mutual assistance. Having hacked someone’s account, they write tearful letters on behalf of the victim to his friends: “Save me, I’m in trouble.” It is always better to call the victim back and make sure, and if he does not answer or is making up circumstances, then delay the transfer.

Less common scenarios are also used - for example, rewards for participating in a survey. You fill out information about yourself, including your card number, and scammers gain access, if not to money, then to data and will be able to attempt to deceive again. This looks quite plausible.

Atypical schemes

Attackers posing as bank security officers may report that a virus has been detected on the client’s device and ask them to download an antivirus. Thus, during downloading, fraudsters can gain access to mobile banking and withdraw client funds.

Another divorce scenario from the “security service”. Suddenly there is a data leak, you get a call from the bank and are advised to withdraw money from a secure ATM and transfer it to a special insurance account. In fact, there is no leak, but the money is gone.

Or such a scheme. Call from the “bank”: an entry into your personal account from another city or country was detected. To identify the client, you need to provide the card number (it would seem, why does the bank need a card number, because they have one?). And then the voice service turns on. The client trusts the robot's voice and enters the code in tone mode. Fraudsters change the password and login in his personal account and withdraw money.

How to avoid becoming a victim

You must always keep secret codes from SMS and push notifications, card PIN code, security questions, card details, including expiration date and three-digit code. You also cannot disclose personal data: patronymic, place and year of birth, passport details.

• Ask the calling “employee” for his last name and call the bank back yourself. The phone number is on the map or find it on the Internet - don’t ask the caller.

• Do not download any programs to your smartphone at the request of strangers and do not give them access to them.

• Do not carry a piece of paper with a PIN code next to the card in your wallet. They'll pull it all out together.

• To quickly contact the bank, save its numbers in your phone in advance.

• If your card, money from your account or phone is missing, contact the bank immediately, describe the situation, block the card and accounts.

DIRECT SPEECH

“It happens that, at the behest of fraudsters, a client deceives bank employees, and realizes his mistake when nothing can be corrected.”

Alexey Baklanov, head of Tinkoff’s anti-fraud and claims department, told KP . “But banks still don’t have enough tools to prevent defrauded clients from transferring money to criminals. Fraudsters use methods of psychological pressure, which is why the deceived client independently transfers money to them. There are times when bank employees consider transactions suspicious and contact the client for confirmation, but he can mislead them by acting on the instructions of the scammers. The client realizes his mistake only when the money can no longer be returned.

CHEATING STATISTICS

* Men become victims of scammers more often than women.

* Married people fall for tricks almost half as often as single people.

*People aged 18-22 are most susceptible to fraud, followed by those over 68.

* Bank clients with higher education become victims of fraud just as often as those with primary and secondary education. And holders of an academic degree are 2.3 times more likely to do so.

What to do if banks and microloans refuse to lend?

If all of the above methods do not suit you, then most likely you do not need money that much. You can start meditating, chant mantras to attract wealth and prosperity, turn to magicians, fortune-tellers and other mystics for help, but this method is very doubtful. But even if you refuse financial institutions and are unable to obtain funds using the above methods, there is still a way out.

Private investor

Ask to borrow money from private investors. In essence, a private investor is the same borrower, only he does not require any certificates, credit histories, guarantors, or anything else from you. The maximum that can be required is a receipt for the refund.

But when approaching a private person for money, you need to be as honest and convincing as possible. The borrower must clearly understand why you need this money and whether you have the opportunity to return it. Just give money and that’s it – it doesn’t work that way. The investor also wants a guarantee of the return of his funds.

It all depends on the amount. For small loan amounts, a private investor may limit himself to a receipt. But if the amounts are large, then most likely you will be offered to leave your car or other valuables commensurate with the loan amount as collateral. For larger amounts, you may even be offered to re-register real estate in favor of the investor using special methods, where in case of non-repayment, your property is automatically transferred to the borrower.

Working tips on where to get money right now

Almost everyone always has the opportunity to urgently get a large sum. If you have enough time, for example one week, then I can advise you on several working options.

Pawnshops

These are organizations that are ready to give you the required amount of cash, provided that you leave your valuable item as collateral. Jewelry, household or office equipment, gadgets and, less commonly, antiques are considered valuable items. Surely you have something to “pawn” at the pawnshop before your payday. Pawn shops always value your items at a price that will be significantly lower than its real value and do this on purpose. If you do not return the money on time, your item will most likely be put up for sale.

Selling unnecessary things

This method is more gentle, but requires more time. For example, you rarely use your toaster or microwave, which means you can sell them. There are many special online resources for sale, popularly called “flea markets,” where it is enough to advertise the sale.

Handmade

These are all things you can do with your own hands. For example, you can make beautiful gift cards, hair clips, bouquets of natural flowers, draw pictures, paint dishes or cross stitch. Everything that is not produced in factories on an industrial scale and is handmade by the author is very highly valued and can be sold profitably on the Internet.

Rent out your property

There are three options here. During the warm season, move to a dacha and rent out an apartment for several months or daily. The second option is to rent out a room in an apartment or private house. The third option is to rent a room yourself and rent out the apartment so that the rent covers your costs for the room and allows you to earn extra money.

Recycled raw materials

This includes the collection of waste paper, plastic, glass bottles and cans, and scrap metal. Collecting everything that can be handed over at collection points for money.

What kind of job can you get quickly?

Before starting the search, they determine for themselves the range of responsibilities or actions available for high-quality implementation. As a rule, one-day vacancies are uncomplicated and require more physical labor.

1. Distribution of leaflets and promotional materials. The work is not difficult; if you have basic skills, you can complete the process in 2-3 hours. Payment is made immediately upon completion of the task.
2. Employment in a cleaning company will allow you to earn money if the cleaning is really high-quality. In terms of time, it usually takes 5-6 hours, depending on the range of responsibilities, but the payments reach several thousand rubles. If the owner of the cleaned apartment likes the result, stable, permanent income is possible.
3. Assembling furniture is not a job for beginners; knowledge and professional skills are required, but sometimes craftsmen hire assistants. This is a chance that will give you the opportunity not only to earn extra money, but also to learn something useful.
4. Caring for pets is the most enjoyable type of income, especially for animal lovers. Walking a dog, cleaning up after a cat or parrot, cleaning a hare’s cage, feeding pets is noble and paid work. The owners regularly transfer funds for help, understanding that caring for the animal is important for its health.
5. Speculation or resale of goods at an inflated price is also acceptable for making quick money. By purchasing products in the village from the manufacturer and reselling them in the city, you can make good profits. But this type of income requires investment and time.