Fraudsters are 'zeroing out' Ukrainians' cards in a new way: how to protect bank accounts.

The Ministry of Social Policy, in cooperation with the National Bank of Ukraine, Cyber Police, and the State Service for Special Communication and Information Protection, warns citizens about the spread of a new phone fraud scheme in the country.

Criminals call citizens, pretending to be employees of banking institutions, and try to convince them to install a new mobile application for managing accounts. In reality, the fraudsters send a phishing link disguised as a message from the bank's official chatbot in the messenger.

After installing the malicious software, users enter their personal data, including login and password for online banking. Victims also report or send one-Time codes from SMS messages to the criminals, giving them full access to citizens' bank accounts and funds.

Recommendations for protection

As part of the #FraudGoodbye campaign, experts recommend using only official channels of communication with banking institutions. If you receive a call asking for personal information, refuse and call the number provided on the payment card yourself.When using bank chatbots, look for links only on official websites or in financial institution applications. It is also important to check the authenticity of mobile applications: the developer's name should match the bank's name, and pay attention to the number of downloads, ratings, and user reviews.This new phone fraud scheme in Ukraine is becoming increasingly widespread, making it essential to be vigilant and follow the advice on protecting against fraudsters trying to extract personal information and access to bank accounts.