Phishing is a form of fraud in which the customer is tricked by various means, such as email. through letters, text messages, phone calls or by manipulating the search results of Internet search engines (such as Google or Bing), forcing you to enter your personal online banking or payment card details on websites created by fraudsters or to say them during a telephone conversation. Fraudsters use the received data to:
- when making purchases and paying for them by the person who transmitted the information about the access codes;
- with the funds in the account or using intercepted login data, transfers funds from the victim's account to the accounts of third parties.
Fraudsters can create fake online banking sites or online stores. Such sites usually look very similar to the original. Scammers distribute links to these fake sites via email. by mail, text messages or by submitting them in the results of an internet search engine (eg Google search engine). email letters and text messages are usually sent under the name of the bank, asking to click on a link because, for example, it is necessary to read an important message, block a payment or change bank login details.
Sometimes a scammer places a malicious link that can look like an advertisement on an Internet search engine (such as Google or Bing) so that it appears as the first search result. A person clicks on a link to a fake website and is taken to a phishing website that looks identical to the service provider's original website.
In order to defraud data, fraudsters send messages in the name of state institutions, companies or well-known online portals, such as the State Tax Inspectorate (VMI), Lithuanian Post, companies providing courier services or other institutions. When calling, they introduce themselves as representatives of the aforementioned institutions. Fake text messages or e-mails from the aforementioned institutions or institutions. through emails, residents are sent malicious links that they are encouraged to click on. Such messages purport to be invitations to verify payable taxes, complete customs formalities, or view documents allegedly related to legal proceedings. After clicking on the link, the person is directed to a fraudulent website where they are asked to enter their online banking login details. If fraudsters succeed in extracting such information, this information is used to embezzle personal finances (by making transfers to third-party accounts), may attempt to take out a loan or purchase on installments in the victim's name, so it is very important to pay attention to what action is being asked to be confirmed by pop-up messages on your device . Approve only those transactions and actions that you initiated and want to complete. If a pop-up message on your device makes you suspicious, don't enter any data.
In the ways described above, fraudsters can also obtain the data needed to activate Google Pay and Apple Pay payment methods. Pretending to represent a state institution, company or portal, fraudsters invite people to click on a link so that, for example, the person allegedly receives a package addressed to him or pays an allegedly imposed administrative penalty. After opening the provided link, users are asked to enter their payment card details and Google Pay or Apple Pay activation code. This deceptive process allows fraudsters to link your payment card to their device's Google Pay or Apple Pay wallet in order to make unauthorized transactions.