National Bank of Kazakhstan warns of a growing number of telephone frauds with the use of psychological pressure. Fraudsters pose as employees of telecom operators, healthcare organizations, postal services and government services portals to gain an access to personal accounts, banking services and personal funds.

Under the pretext of extension of SIM cards, scheduling medical screenings or filing tax returns, the fraudsters obtain SMS codes. They then contact the victims again, posing as e-government support staff, and report suspicious activity and online loan applications. Under the guise of providing assistance, the fraudsters send links via instant messaging apps and offer to contact "law enforcement officials."

Posing as law enforcement officers, the fraudsters exert psychological pressure, claiming that the loan is supposedly used to finance illegal activities and threatening to freeze accounts. They use fake IDs to back up their claims.

The fraudsters then redirect individuals to phony "National Bank employees" and, under the pretext of confirming their innocence, demand raising new loans and transfer of funds to a "safe account." Under the pretext of protecting individuals' savings, they also urge them to hand over cash, gold jewelry and other valuables to couriers.

It is important to note that the fraudsters seek to keep individuals on the line, limiting their ability to critically assess the situation or consult with relatives or government agencies through official communication channels.

Due to the increasing incidence of fraud, the National Bank of Kazakhstan urges citizens not to click suspicious links or provide SMS codes, bank card details or other personal information to third parties. If you receive calls from unknown individuals claiming to be employees of government agencies or the National Bank, you should end the conversation and call the official numbers yourself.

We also remind you that employees of the National Bank do not make audio or video calls, do not service individual accounts, and do not process payments to the public.

If you run into fraudulent activities, we strongly recommend filing a report with law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

For consultation, please contact the National Bank’s Contact Center at 1477.

For more information mass media can contact:
8 (7172) 77–52–10
e-mail: press@nationalbank.kz 
www.nationalbank.kz