The period of the Easter holidays comes with not only the specific agglomeration of online shopping and donations, but also with an increased risk of fraud on the Internet. Authorities warn that cybercriminals take advantage of this period to obtain sensitive banking data from users.
An alarm signal was sent by the Romanian Police, the National Directorate of Cyber Security and the Romanian Association of Banks, which draw attention to the significant increase in fraud attempts during this period.
According to data provided by the DNSC, the number of fraud incidents and attempts has increased by more than 90%, and phishing attacks are more frequent by more than 70%. Experts explain that attackers exploit people’s emotions, haste and trust to get them to provide confidential information.
In most cases, frauds start from seemingly trivial gestures: accessing links received by e-mail or SMS, providing card data or security codes, installing unknown applications or following instructions received in unsolicited phone calls.
Attackers also use convincing scenarios, such as fake package delivery messages, fictitious humanitarian campaigns or phone calls on behalf of institutions.
In this context, the SiguranțaOnline initiative, supported by the aforementioned institutions and the banking sector, provides users with a free digital protection guide. It includes a number of essential recommendations:
-
avoiding accessing suspicious links;
-
protecting banking data and security codes;
-
use of two-step authentication;
-
avoiding public Wi-Fi networks for financial transactions.
Authorities emphasize that no legitimate institution or company will request sensitive information, such as passwords or bank details, by phone, email or SMS. Additionally, users are advised to check the source of messages and avoid making decisions under pressure.
A special warning goes out to parents: minors can become easy targets for cybercriminals, which is why it’s important that they are informed and educated about online risks.
