Dear Customers,

We would like to inform you about frequent cases of fraud of the following types:

Investment frauds

• Be wary of offers for quick and high-yield investments that come unexpectedly through social media, popular text messaging applications or phone calls.
• Fraudsters often pose as financial advisors or investment brokers. During the call, they demand that you provide them with your personal and banking information (bank card numbers, accounts, cash balances, username and password for online and mobile banking access).
• Their ultimate goal is to convince you to transfer funds to fake investment platforms by bank transfer to an account of an unknown person/company or by paying with a bank card.
• During the conversation, you may be prompted under various pretexts to install a remote access application or software on your computer, laptop, or mobile phone. Thus, the fraudsters gain control over your device, which is then used for malicious purposes.

Prevention of frauds related to online tasks, video likes, and loss of funds.

• There you receive a SMS through a chat application (see example) or you come across an ad on a social network that offers you a task to like videos on social networks for an immediate payment without a contract.
• After several such tasks, you are offered the option to earn more by moving to a higher level, which will happen after you invest your own funds. Such payment is presented as a requirement for activating an account/profile, which will be refunded with the next task.
• Then you receive a link to a platform that mimics activity – showing balance, progress, and profits.
• With this type of fraud, you cannot withdraw funds you have deposited, a message always appears asking you to pay additional fees.
• In fact, fraudsters maintain communication until you stop paying.

‘Pay a Friend’ fraud.

• Fraudsters pretend to be your loved one, friend or relative and the message reaches you through a chat application or social network. Usually the fraudster wants to be helped urgently by transferring a small amount to a new account or to a third party account, because they had no access to their online/mobile banking.  Of course, they promise to return the money soon.
• In some cases, a new phone number is used, with the profile picture and name identical to that of your loved one, but it is also possible to use the phone number that you know.
• You’ll be misled to transfer the amount to a stranger, thinking that you are helping a loved one who has no idea about the conversation and payment.

How to protect myself from fraud?

• If you receive such communication, be critical and always carefully check the source of the information about the investment or online work.
• Do not transfer money, if you are not convinced about the recipients, account holders, and investment platforms.
• We recommend that you call your loved ones to make sure they want you to send them money.
• Do not provide personal or banking information and do not install any application/software offered by third parties.
• If you suspect fraud, promptly contact the Customer Contact Centre by phone at 0700 1 84 84 (short number 1 84 84) or by email at: DbmmDfoufsAVojDsfejuHspvq/Ch.

Additional recommendations and tips for fraud prevention can also be found on the website of the Bank.

Sincerely,

The Team of UniCredit Bulbank