Banking frauds carried out by crooks are becoming more sophisticated and difficult to guess. Now there are even many scams that use a combination of different modes, including pretending on behalf of other banks. In the end, they steal the victim’s data to break into their account.
More dangerously, everything can be done in just one action. As a customer, it requires accuracy in reading the situation and movements of the scammers. Also, be aware of some crime modes that are often used to deceive victims.
Fraud Chronology
A WhatsApp number that resembles the official number of Bank X sends a chat to potential victims. Initially, the scammer sends an ‘official letter’ about the changes in the interbank transfer rate.
The victim replied that he/she did not have an account at Bank X and that he/she was not a customer of the bank. The scammer then improvised by informing that the victim’s mobile number had been used by someone else to register for Bank X mobile banking. The scammer even asked the victim to download Bank X’s mobile banking application and register using the victim’s mobile number to prove that the victim’s mobile number had been used by someone else. The victim began to panic, worried that his/her mobile phone was being misused by scammers.
Knowing that the victim had been tricked, the scammer offered to help block the account to prevent it from being misused. The scammer sends a file via chat pretending that the file is an account blocking approval form that must be confirmed by the victim. In fact, it is an APK file that, if installed, can retrieve all the data stored on the victim’s mobile phone.
Victims who are not careful will install the APK file on their phones. It can then pull the victim’s data, including that of their BCA account. This data can later be used to steal money from the victim’s account.
Security Tips
You need to be very careful and vigilant to prevent this crime mode. Here are 5 tips to prevent becoming a victim of this type of crime.
1. Do not trust easily
The first step that must be taken when receiving a message from a scammer is not to believe it easily. In today’s digital age, we must always be aware of the information we get. Check the source of the information, is it from an official number or account? For example, BCA, the official Halo BCA phone number, the official WhatsApp number, and the official BCA social media account can be found in Tip 5.
2. Verify the validity of the information
It is recommended to cross-check the information to Halo BCA via telephone at 1500888 or the HaloBCA application. The form of information can vary, some are encouraging such as promotions or sweepstakes, or distressing information such as transfer rate increases, suspicious transactions on your accounts/credit cards, etc. If the information is verified to be invalid, you can be sure it is a scam.
3. Avoid clicking on received files
The best thing you can do to avoid data theft is not to click on random links, especially in the form of APK files, regardless of the reason. No malware can enter your phone if you don’t click and install the file from the messaging app.
4. Ignore messages from the perpetrator, do not share sensitive information
If you think the message is a scam, it’s better to start ignoring all messages from the scammer. Especially if they ask for personal information such as PIN, password, OTP, etc., simply refuse it, it must be a scam! It is even better to block the scammer’s number so they can’t send messages anymore.
5. Report to Bank BCA
If you experience fraud like this, immediately report it to BCA. BCA will always be there to solve problems. You can directly contact the official BCA number:
✅ Phone HaloBCA 1500888 (without any prefix)
✅ Bank BCA Whatsapp 08111500998 (green badge)
✅ BCA official social media accounts visit www.bca.co.id/socialmedia
Furthermore, you can also contact us via the haloBCA app, which can be downloaded from official sources such as Play Store or App Store.
Read also: Beware of Installing BCA Apps via Fraudulent Links!
These are the common methods used by scammers. It starts with yourself to prevent it from happening. Ignore or reject it when someone asks for your data on behalf of the bank.