Warning: Wave of fraud in the Czech Republic via fake SMS | iRADIO

“It’s another very well-known trick, but its use has intensified significantly in recent days. The gist of it is that a person receives an SMS that looks like it was sent from one of the big shipping companies. It only prompts the addressee to specify the address so that the seemingly ordered package can be delivered. All through an internet link. But it actually leads to a very good imitation of a payment gateway, where the addressee fills in the data from his payment card in good faith,” said Petr Vosála, manager of security for digital channels of the ČSOB group, which warned against fraudulent messages.

The attacked user will immediately receive a verification SMS or another method of data confirmation, for example via a Smart key. But this verification element is not tied to the confirmation of a change of address for the delivery person, but to the confirmation of an unwanted, unscheduled payment. It can easily happen that a person clicks through the entire process without realizing that the payment will be deducted from their own account shortly after.

Fraudulent SMS messages are an age-old trick of cyber-scammers. Currently, they pretend to be delivery companies, but often also the tax office, the Czech Social Security Administration or other similar institutions.

“Unfortunately, these are common methods used by cyber attackers in fraudulent SMS messages. Once a recipient provides their information, such as card details, attackers can use that information for unauthorized transactions or identity theft. They very often attack Czech seniors in particular, who are more vulnerable to them. Family members should inform their parents and grandparents about this danger and regularly delete and block these messages,” said OR-CZ technical director Jan Kelča.

Easter, like Christmas and other major holidays, is an opportunity for cybercriminals, according to Adam Hanka, chief data officer at Creative Dock.

“However, purchases in e-shops are increasing, but the volume of communication between users is also increasing and they are losing their caution. This makes it easier for them to come across a fake message from a courier company or bank with a link to infected content. According to our information, the number of these hacking campaigns increases by tens of percent before holidays or important sports events,” added Hanka.

According to experts, people should first of all think about whether they really expect a package. If not, then they should immediately delete such a message. They should also note which number the message came from. It is often a foreign or unknown number. In the same way, the texts in the message often contain errors and confusing Czech, and the links placed in the SMS messages are far from the real ones in their shape.

It is also worthwhile to monitor warnings from Internet browsers or antivirus programs that may alert you to access to a dangerous website.

In a similar attack, which was reported by the police on Thursday, a group of four foreigners robbed people in the Czech Republic of almost a million crowns. Fraudsters sent out fake text messages about the failed delivery of a package by an international courier company and asked recipients to fill in personal identification and payment card information. The police detained them when they wanted to leave the Czech Republic with items purchased using illegal copies of payment cards.

The number of cyber attacks continues to grow. According to the statistics of the Czech Banking Association, there were 69,685 of them last year, which is three times more than the year before.

CTK

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