Fraudulent text messages claiming to be from Card Stop
The banking industry federation Febelfin and the company that manages the electronic payment net Worldline warn that fraudster have been sending text messages claiming to be from Card Stop that request that recipient urgently take action to unblock their debit or credit card. Card Stop is the organisation that bank customers contact if they fear that their credit or debit card has been lost or stolen or if they want the card blocked for any other reason.
The text messages don’t come from Card stop, but rather from fraudsters. The messages provide a link to a website where potential victims are asked to provide their bank details. “The result is a big risk of fraud and often an emptied bank account”, Febelfin writes in a press statement.
The banking industry is keen to stress that Card Stop and the banks never ask for personal bank card codes via text message, email or social media.
Tips to protect yourself from phishing:
1. Never disclose your pincode or other bank codes over the phone, by e-mail, text message or social media. A bank will never ask you for them in this way. Card Stop too would never do this.
2. Ignore messages to (bogus) payment sites or to (bogus) bank apps.
3. Only carry out bank transfers using the official app of your bank or your bank’s website.
If you believe that you have fallen foul of fraudsters you should:
1. Contact your bank.
2. Inform Card Stop (www.cardstop.be or 070 344 344) if you have also given your card details.
3. Change your codes.
4. Report the incident to the police.