Online fraud is increasingly less likely to appear as an obvious scam. Criminals copy the websites of banks and government organisations, make calls from spoofed numbers, create convincing adverts and gain control of the accounts of the victim\u2019s acquaintances. To make their schemes more convincing, they use genuine logos, photographs, company names and even AI-generated human voices. According to the National Bank of Ukraine\u2019s educational portal, 83% of the recorded cases of payment fraud in 2025 took place online. Social engineering remains the most common method: people are persuaded to transfer funds themselves, disclose a verification code or install an app that grants access to their phone.<\/p>\n
Briefly about the main points<\/strong><\/p>\n To steal money, a fraudster does not always need to breach the bank\u2019s security. Often, it is enough to persuade the account holder to carry out the necessary actions themselves: to quote a code from a message, confirm a transaction, visit a fake website or install a remote access programme.<\/p>\n Criminals usually try to obtain:<\/p>\n Most scams rely on psychological pressure. The victim is threatened with having their card blocked, told that a loan has allegedly been taken out in their name, promised a payout, or asked to help a relative urgently. The main aim is to ensure the victim has no time to check the facts.<\/p>\n Detailed payment security rules<\/a> compiled as part of the National Bank of Ukraine\u2019s \u00abFraudGoodbye\u00bb information campaign.<\/p>\n A person receives a call purporting to be from a bank, informing them of a suspicious transaction, an attempted withdrawal or a loan application. To \u00abcancel\u00bb the transaction, they are asked to provide their card number, expiry date, CVV, the code from an SMS or the password for their banking app.<\/p>\n A genuine bank employee does not need this information. If a call seems suspicious, you should hang up and ring the bank yourself using the number shown on your card or in the official app.<\/p>\n The fraudster claims that the customer\u2019s money is allegedly at risk. To safeguard it, they suggest transferring the funds to a \u00absecure\u00bb, \u00abinsurance\u00bb, \u00abreserve\u00bb or \u00abtemporary\u00bb account.<\/p>\n Banks do not protect their customers\u2019 funds in this way. The account to which they are asking you to make the transfer belongs to a fraudster or a front man.<\/p>\n It is particularly dangerous when the caller does not allow you to end the call and directs the victim\u2019s actions at an ATM or within a banking app. In such a situation, you should end the call and not transfer any money.<\/p>\n Phishing<\/a> \u2014 involves creating a fake webpage that looks like the website of a bank, postal service, online marketplace or government service. Links are shared via text message, email, adverts, Telegram, Viber and social media.<\/p>\n On the page, users are asked to log in, claim a payment, verify their identity or pay a small amount. Any usernames, passwords and card details entered are immediately sent to the fraudsters.<\/p>\n The presence of a padlock icon and The fraudster contacts the seller and offers to arrange delivery. They then send a link purportedly for payment. The fake page asks the user to enter their card number, expiry date, CVV or account balance.<\/p>\n You do not need to enter your CVV, bank password or SMS code to receive a transfer. All delivery-related actions should only be carried out via the official website or app of the marketplace.<\/p>\n It is also risky to switch from the platform to a third-party messaging service, especially if the buyer insists that the transaction is urgent.<\/p>\n Messages are being shared on social media about state benefits<\/a>, international organisations, banks or charitable foundations. To receive the money, users are asked to follow a link, complete a \u00absurvey\u00bb and enter their bank details.<\/p>\n Information about government payments should be checked on the official website of the relevant authority or via the \u00abDiya\u00bb app. Government bodies do not require a CVV, PIN or online banking password to process your benefit payment.<\/p>\n Fraudsters gain access to Telegram, Viber, Facebook or Instagram and message the account holder\u2019s contacts. Most often, they ask for an urgent loan, to vote for a child in a competition, to support a petition or to click on a link.<\/p>\n Even if the message is from someone close to you, you should verify the request in another way: by phoning them or asking a question that only they know the answer to.<\/p>\n You should not click on links to \u00abvote\u00bb or \u00absign a petition\u00bb if the page asks you to log in to the messaging app again.<\/p>\n The financial number is used to receive bank notifications and verification codes. Fraudsters may attempt to have the SIM card reissued or persuade the owner to disclose their mobile network operator\u2019s code.<\/p>\n One of the current scams involves a message claiming that a SIM card has expired. In February 2026, The cyber police had warned<\/a> about fake Telegram accounts masquerading as mobile network operators.<\/p>\n If your SIM card suddenly stops working for no apparent reason, you should contact your mobile network operator and your bank immediately. This could be a sign that your number has been reissued without your authorisation.<\/p>\n A fake bank employee may tell you that the old app no longer works and suggest you install an \u00abupdated version\u00bb. In reality, the file contains malware.<\/p>\n Another option is to ask the victim to install a remote screen-access programme. Once this is done, the fraudster can see banking notifications and keystrokes, and can control the smartphone.<\/p>\n Banking apps should only be downloaded from official app stores. Bank staff do not ask you to install apps for remote control of your phone.<\/p>\n In adverts or messaging apps, people are promised a guaranteed return on cryptocurrency, shares, oil or an automated trading bot. After making a small initial deposit, a profit may appear in your account, but these figures are not backed up by actual transactions.<\/p>\n To withdraw funds, the fraudsters demand further payments: a \u00abtax\u00bb, a \u00abcommission\u00bb, a \u00absecurity deposit\u00bb or a verification fee. Once the money has been transferred, it is not returned.<\/p>\n Signs of fraud include guaranteed returns, pressure to top up your account urgently, a lack of verified legal information, and requests to install remote access software.<\/p>\n Under the guise of remote work, people are offered the chance to accept payments into their own bank accounts, transfer them to other individuals or withdraw cash in exchange for a fee. In this way, the cardholder can be turned into a \u00abmoney mule\u00bb or \u2018drop\u2019.<\/p>\n Such accounts are used to move stolen funds and for other illegal transactions. Participation in such a scheme may result in accounts being frozen and criminal liability.<\/p>\n\n
How online fraud works<\/h2>\n
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15 common online scams<\/h2>\n
1. A call from the \u00abbank\u2019s security department\u00bb<\/h3>\n
2. Transfer to a \u00absecure account\u00bb<\/h3>\n
3. Phishing websites of banks and government bodies<\/h3>\n
https<\/code> does not prove that the website is genuine. You need to check the exact spelling of the domain: fraudsters may swap a single letter, add a hyphen or use a similar address.<\/p>\n4. Fake delivery on classifieds websites<\/h3>\n
5. Fake social security payments and financial assistance<\/h3>\n
6. A message from a friend\u2019s hacked account<\/h3>\n
7. Theft of a financial telephone number<\/h3>\n
8. A fake banking app or remote access<\/h3>\n
9. Pseudo-investments and fraudulent crypto platforms<\/h3>\n
10. Fake jobs and \u00abrenting\u00bb bank cards<\/h3>\n