Az ünnepek alatti kibercsalások elleni kampányt indított az MNB

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 12. 01. 09:31

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The reduction of cyber fraud risks during the holidays is supported by the Hungarian National Bank’s (MNB) Financial Navigator’s “Christmas without cyber criminals” public awareness campaign, the central bank told MTI on Monday.

They drew attention to the fact that fraudsters are using more sophisticated methods than ever before: they can use deceptive communication or even fake webshops to obtain customers’ banking details. Due to the misuse of artificial intelligence, previously telltale spelling errors, incorrect Hungarian or suspiciously worded messages have also disappeared, so the criminals’ messages are much more lifelike.

Customers should also pay attention to the security of their data and the protection of their money during the Advent period – practical tips and suggestions can be found on the MNB’s Financial Navigator page.

The number of cyber fraud attempts has remained high in recent times. In the case of bank transfers, fraud committed using phishing now accounts for more than half of the fraud, but fraud based on psychological manipulation is still common. Cybercriminals rely on inattention and hasty decisions, so it is especially important to be careful when banking and shopping online.

They highlight that as Christmas approaches, scams related to online parcel delivery services, marketplaces and web stores are also increasing. More and more data-collecting emails or SMS messages may be received on behalf of service providers, so it is especially important to be careful even if customers actually have online orders.

If the sender is unknown, asks for confidential data or tries to install an application, it is advisable to delete the message immediately. If you are unsure, please inquire directly about the real shipment at the service provider’s official contact information.

– the central bank wrote.

A bank account can be effectively protected with strong passwords, regular software updates, two-step or biometric identification. Increased caution is also warranted on social media, as fake profiles, phishing attempts disguised as sweepstakes, and manipulative advertisements can be misleading. References should also be checked: whether there is a real, authentic source, and who the given material is based on.

They also mentioned that many fake web stores appear during the Christmas shopping rush. These often look deceptively similar to real sites, attract customers with extraordinary promotions, but only offer advance payment. Checking the address of websites and examining customer reviews on external sites is an essential tool for avoiding fraud.

In order to prevent and reduce cybersecurity risks, Central Bank Governor Mihály Varga announced the MNB’s five strikes against online criminals in June this year. Some of these, such as the Central Abuse Filtering System, have already been launched and are protecting customers. The central bank is also conducting a joint education campaign called Cyber Shield with several state institutions and financial market players, and is analyzing processes to protect customers using electronic financial services, they wrote.