Don’t let a ‘bank employee’ take control of your computer
25 January 2024 - 4 min Reading time
While in the past mainly private customers were targeted, entrepreneurs are now also contacted more often by scammers who pretend to be bank employees. They succeed in stealing big amounts of money by convincing the clients to give them the control of their computer remotely and by asking their personal codes. This type of fraud is on the rise and can cause major financial damage.
How does it happen?
The client/entrepreneur generally receives a call from a so-called employee (of the fraud department) of his/her bank warning them that suspicious transactions have just been detected on their account/the account of the company. The scammer convinces the client/entrepreneur about the emergency of the situation at that moment and gives them advice to prevent worse.
Once the victim is persuaded, they ask him/her to transfer money to “safe accounts” (that don’t exist) or the client/entrepreneur is asked to cancel (non-existent) fraudulent transactions together with the so-called ‘bank employee’.
The client/entrepreneur is also prompted to install software (Anydesk, Teamviewer) that allows the so-called ‘bank employee’ to assist the client/entrepreneur. If the victim accepts this, the scammer has the full control of the computer or smartphone of the client. The scammer decides what the client/entrepreneur can(not) see and is therefore able to log in to online banking and make bank transfers in name of the client. The client/entrepreneur signs these bank transfers, thinking that these are destined to safe accounts or that he/she is cancelling these transactions.
In brief, in this way the scammers are able to carry out bank transfers or to let them be carried out via the professional and private accounts of the business customer. As a result, big amounts of money can be stolen in no time
Be careful and warn your colleagues
It is thus crucial to be attentive to this form of scamming, that is on the rise recently and is making more and more victims. If you receive a call from the (fraud department) of your bank and are asked to install software which makes it possible for them to assist you and to take control of your computer screen, don’t execute their instructions and hang up immediately! A bank will never ask you to install software to take control of your computer remotely and to share your personal codes.
Banks take the necessary measures to prevent fraud as much as possible. But you can also take measures yourself. Inform your colleagues, friends or employees about this, so they can guard themselves better against this type of fraud.
Companies are increasingly becoming a target for several types of payment fraud that are in particular geared towards companies also exist and can possibly cause major financial losses. Examples are CEO fraud, invoice fraud, phishing…
You can read more about this topic in our brochure.
Fell into the trap?
Act quickly and inform your bank immediately. Your bank is available 24/7. You can find a list of contact points here (website in Dutch/French).
